Awakened
by Shakespoe
Summary: AU: Callie's marriage to George is crumbling apart after a last attempt to save it by having a baby. Now, George has enlisted, her baby is sick, and Callie's world is falling apart. Arizona helps to bring a joy back into her life, awakening her from the dark world her life had become. M starting Chapter 7.
1. Ch 1: The Nightmare

**AN**: Hey everyone. This is my first attempt at Calzona... so be kind. Disclaimer: None of the characters are my own and I take some scenes directly from the show. Sometimes you just can't beat Shonda.

Rated M starting in Chapter 7

As always, feel free to leave criticism, recommendations, questions, testimonials... ;) You know the drill.

Chapter 1: The Nightmare

* * *

"George! Don't walk away from this!"

"Why!? Why, Callie?! You're not done yelling yet!? Well I'm sure as hell done hearing it!"

That froze the Latina to her place and she could only let the blaze within her roar as she watched her husband, not for the first time, walk out the door, slamming it to add his own punctuation to the conclusion of yet another argument. Her hand reached to her head, grabbing her raven hair in frustration as she started pacing around their bedroom, spitting Spanish into the empty space._ How could he just make a decision that big without even talking to her? He just walked right up to the recruitment office and enlisted! Enlisted! Who does that?! No one just does that. Not when they have a wife and a 2 month old daughter!_

As if on cue, a cry tore through the house from the nursery. Callie sat down on the edge of her bed, willing the anger and the fighting to just stop. She had been so happy when she found out she was pregnant. She really hoped that it would finally bring their rushed and broken marriage together. They shared something now, but more and more she had began to realize her husband's disdain for their daughter. It was the only thing holding them to each other and he hated her for it. Another scream broke her from her thoughts and she got up to go attend to her little girl; she needed at least one parent.

"Shhh, shhh, my baby. Sofia, shh. Mami's here." The infant curled into her mother's embrace and started to calm. Callie started to hum to her, nothing in particular just the song on her heart. She swayed to the music and danced slowly around the room, basking in the peace surrounding her. This was the only solace she found recently. Where her husband hated her daughter, she could only love her more. Her perfect brown patches of hair, her beautifully dark blue eyes... They were starting to show the dark brown she was sure was to be the final color, just like her Mami. But her favorite was the smile that would form as she fell back asleep in her arms. "You know, baby girl..." she kissed her forehead sweetly."They say babies don't dream. But I think they're wrong. I think that was a nightmare." She sat down in the rocking chair and closed her eyes to the gentle motion. "But you're okay. I've got you." She leaned down to kiss her again and startled when she realized how warm her baby's forehead was. A quick panic started to sneak into her gut and she lifted her hand to check the baby's head. Hot. She was definitely hot; too hot.

She checked Sofia's temperature every fifteen minutes for three hours, and tried every method in the baby books to bring her fever down but all Sofia wanted to do was sleep and that worried her. She was usually a very active baby, even at 2 months. And as soon as she would break contact, a strangled cry would erupt from the tiny baby. Something was wrong, something was **definitely** wrong.

She raced into the hospital after a very grueling drive of going the speed limit, not letting her panic get both of them in trouble. "BAILEY! Page peds! Now!" She yelled. The short woman turned on her heel with wide eyes to see the panicked Ortho surgeon racing towards her. "Something!..." she broke and tears were falling down her face. Bailey ran up to her, placing a hand on her back. "Callie? Callie breathe. What's wrong?" She motioned to the nurse at the nurse's station to page peds. "Tell them we're on our way up." The nurse nodded and started dialing.

"Something's wrong with Sofia and I tried everything but Bailey... something's wrong!" Tears were streaming down her face as Bailey led her towards the pediatrics wing.

"Okay. Okay, calm down. We've got the best here. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Callie didn't look convinced. "If it is, you did the right thing. They'll take care of her."

With that, she nodded and as they entered the pediatrics wing a very happy and bubbly blonde woman with short curls came rolling... wait. Did she just roll? Her shoes... they _roll_? Peds really was a different world altogether. "Dr. Torres! Come on in! Let's take a look at your little girl and see what's going on." She nodded and followed the blonde into the first room through the door. Bailey leaned in, "Robbins, you got this? I have a liver patient..." the blonde nodded. "Go ahead. I've got this." Callie looked up, fear bleeding through her attempted smile. Bailey smiled back and patted the door frame as she went back towards her own patients.

"Okay! Let's get a look!" The peds surgeon picked up Sofia with practiced hands and laid her on the examination table. She immediately started crying and Callie reached for her instinctively, but drew back when the blonde leaned over and started talking to her, soothing the baby in a way no one but Callie had ever been able to. She reached her arms around her torso, holding herself as she watched her baby girl's examination.

After what seemed an eternity, the blonde turned around, holding the infant out to her mother. Callie took her and held her, swaying as the doctor talked. "You did the right thing, Dr. Torres. I'm going to order some scans just to be sure, but I think she has an infection in her bowel. She's strong though and the fever is good. The fever means her body is fighting and after we help a bit, she will be absolutely fine."

Relief washed over the Latina as the day's events finally crushed her. She started sobbing as she thought of how awful the day had been. Needing someone to be there for her, but knowing the only one who could, refused to stand by her. No one had been there for her and no one ever would. She had been so scared... she tried to steady herself against the table and strong arms found their way around her. She immediately sunk into the embrace she needed so badly, careful not to squish Sofia. She hid her eyes into the space where the blonde's neck met her shoulder and cried as circles were traced on her back and whispers of comfort reached her ears. After a tear had been shed for every emotion she had locked away since, well, since she could remember, she pulled away realizing the awkward position she had put the other woman in. A nervous laugh erupted from her and she wiped her tears away. The blonde was still holding on to her, and she gripped her arms quickly in reassurance before dropping her arms.

"Sorry about that..."

"No, don't apologize, Calliope." Gorgeous, brilliant, blue eyes met hers and a cautious but brief smile flitted across her mouth. No one ever called her Calliope besides her father. She hated her name, so much so that she never introduced herself that way, only ever as Callie or Dr. Torres. But the way this doctor said it... she made it sing. It caught her off guard how her heart skipped a beat at the sound. It had been a long time since someone had made her heart skip that way… if she was really honest with herself, this was the first real time.

"I'll go order those scans. Do you want some water?" she paused, taking in the appearance of the Latina. "Coffee maybe?"

The stress of the day landed on her and suddenly she was exhausted. "Coffee. Coffee would be wonderful. Thank you..." her voice trailed off when she realized she didn't know the doctor's first name. She had known her own full first name, how could she not know her's?

"Arizona." She finished with a smile.

Not just any smile though. God that really was a beautiful smile; dimples and all. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Arizona. Thank you." Arizona nodded and grabbed the door frame.

"One coffee and one picture of a particularly cute tiny human's insides coming right up!" She smiled even wider and pushed off of the door frame, gliding towards the nurse's station leaving one calm and happy Callie holding her baby girl with a very, very big smile.


	2. Ch 2: Fifteen Minutes

**AN**: Wow. So, over night this has become my number one favorited and followed story! Thanks everyone! :] That's pretty incredible. Again, leave comments and reviews if you see something out of character or just want to tell me how lovely I am ;)

Here's Chapter 2: Fifteen minutes

* * *

The next few days rushed by Callie. Sofia barely slept after the quick and successful surgery which meant long nights followed by even longer days. Every morning, Arizona brought her a cup of coffee prepared exactly how she loved it. She never told her how she took her coffee, but as with so many things, somehow the blonde just knew. It was curious how well Arizona seemed to know her. Callie found that she was coming to love their time together and getting to know Arizona just as well. Even though the circumstances were less than optimal, her morning and afternoon visits with Arizona were quickly becoming the highlights of her day.

George had yet to visit. She had texted him about the whole situation as soon as Arizona had confirmed the diagnosis with the 'tiny human pictures' and he simply responded, '_She'll be fine. Let me know when you want to come back home so I can be sure not to be there._' She didn't answer that, and didn't have any immediate plans to do so. George had been so kind and loving, but then he slept with Izzie and things just fell apart. They had tried so hard to stay together; divorce was essentially out of the picture since both their families were devout Catholics. She honestly hadn't realized just how dark of a place she was in until Arizona reminded her what it was like to be in the sunlight. This friendship was quickly becoming something she never wanted to let go.

It had been three days since the surgery and Sofia had finally slept for 5 hours straight. Callie woke up with a start when the door to the room opened as a sheepish Arizona crept in. Seeing the baby finally asleep and Callie startled awake, she turned around to leave.

"Hey. Get back here with my coffee!" Callie called after her with a mischievous grin. Arizona turned around with a smile.

"Who said I brought **you** coffee?" A wicked smile erupted and Callie arched her eyebrow.

"Going hardcore and drinking two cups now?"

The women laughed and Arizona sneaked in, closing the door gently behind her. "Could you imagine me on two cups of coffee?" She said with a laugh, handing one cup to Callie.

"Oh god, no. That'd be like adding rockets to those skates of yours." She pointed to the roller shoes and they both laughed, sipping their coffees and relaxing into their easy morning conversation.

"How did Sofia do? The on-call said she actually slept for a while."

Callie nodded and snuggled into her blanket, taking a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, she slept for a few hours and woke up hungry. But after I fed her, she fell right asleep and has been since." The blonde sat up with a start and a huge smile, staring at Callie.

"What?" She looked around, thinking she missed something fly past her head.

"She ate!? She was hungry and she's doing ok now that she's eaten?!"

"Yeah..." obviously she was missing something.

"Calliope, that… that's huge! That's wonderful!" She jumped up. "That means she's finally kicked the infection! She's healthy!" She looked at Sofia with a sigh before turning back to Callie. "She's healthy, Calliope! We did it!"

A huge smile formed on Callie's face to match Arizona's and before she had realized she'd even moved, she had Arizona in a strong embrace.

* * *

She froze. The woman of her dreams was currently wrapping her arms around her and suddenly she couldn't breathe. Everything about Calliope Torres was intoxicating, but their current position had her absolutely breathless. She finally willed herself to relax and take a breath and when she did, she immediately wished she hadn't. The smell of Callie overwhelmed her senses and she melted into the embrace, holding her the way she had dreamed about for years. She had always kept her distance; knowing that the woman was very straight and entirely off the market, being married and all. She had crossed the line that first day by taking Callie in her arms and comforting her, but she just could not let the broken woman cry like that without a shoulder to do it on. She had tried so hard to not let it happen again, and she tried to keep her distance, but having her daughter as a patient had finally given her reason to sit and talk with her, and she just couldn't pass it up.

But this was crossing the line in a major way and she knew weeks of emotional recovery were on the way. She let herself have this moment, though. It was instigated by the other woman, and she wasn't going to fight it. Something shifted inside her, and suddenly she didn't want to let go. Her heart had stopped beating, but seemed to be racing at the same time. The second the Latina pulled away, she felt the loss. She wanted her back in her arms.

She couldn't let go right away; instead, she held onto her arms and at seeing Callie's smile, smiled back. They locked eyes and for a second she thought she saw a glimpse of something resembling longing. It couldn't be true though, '_Pull yourself together, Robbins!'_ _This woman… this very gorgeous woman… is straight. She's married for god's sakes_! Even though she repeated it over and over again, she was still lost in the haunting expression the big, brown eyes were holding her to. It was most definitely a look of longing.

Callie laughed gently and shook her head, clearing the air of the almost sexual tension that had gathered from the embrace. Arizona cleared her throat and stepped back, immediately regretting the decision. Callie took a deep breath and then pulled out her phone. Thinking George was calling, Arizona turned and motioned towards leaving the room.

"Wait!" Callie called after her. She immediately froze and spun around so quickly she almost did a complete 360 and lost her balance. "I was just going to ask for your number." She held her phone up, questioning.

"Oh! I thought someone was calling you." A smile burst across her face. _She wanted her number?!_ '_Don't get ahead of yourself… calm down. Act cool.'_

Callie burst into laughter, supporting herself against the bed so as to not fall on the floor. Arizona watched her, a smile and a short chuckle flowing from her mouth. She definitely did not understand what was so funny, but the sight of the Latina in front of her nearly keeled over laughing was absolutely the most precious thing she had ever seen. Her heart stopped beating again and she could feel her cheeks flush. She looked down to the floor and cleared her throat in an attempt to hide her obvious reaction to Callie and the thoughts that started to run through her mind that weren't quite as innocent.

Callie's laughter subsided and she looked up as chuckles sporadically interrupted her. "Sorry! I just. I haven't had someone purposefully call me in so long. George literally… and I mean **literally** hates talking to me." Arizona's mouth dropped and her eyebrows rose involuntarily. How could anyone on the face of the planet hate talking to Callie? And he's married to her! He's seen her naked. She would absolutely kill to be able to see that much of Callie. Her curves… _No. Stop, Robbins. Pay attention – she's still talking._

"It's really kinda sad. I mean, he hates his own daughter! It's obvious! But who hates a baby that stinkin' cute?!" She glanced over to the still sleeping Sofia and sighed briefly before continuing. "I mean, when I told him she was here, all he said was 'oh she'll be fine.'" Her voice caught and Arizona looked for a sign of what was being left unsaid, but she wouldn't ask for more. This was already quite the rant. "And now!" She threw her hands up, emphasizing the sheer absurdity. "I don't even know if he'll be back when I get home." Callie paused, realizing she had just shouted the one thing she feared the most and the one thing she had yet to admit to herself. George was going to leave her by herself with a baby to take care of, and she was absolutely terrified.

She looked to Arizona with tears brimming on her eyelids, daring to fall. "You know he's decided to get up and join the Army? Who does that?" Callie stopped again and twisted the ring on her left ring finger. "Am I honestly that bad? Is what we have, really that terrible? How can I make someone hate me so much that he has to go join the Army just to leave me?!" Her voice hitched and Arizona's heart broke in two. "I… I think he's actually leaving me, Arizona…"

She reached out, almost a natural movement as if she'd done it all her life, and wrapped Callie into another hug. "Calliope, I am so, so sorry." She squeezed her and Callie relaxed into her arms. She pulled away, knowing that if she held on much longer, she would kiss her. It was going to happen, she could feel it in herself and in the air, and she knew the other woman did not need that confusion in her life right now.

"I just don't know what to do. How'd it get so wrong?" Her head fell into her hands and Arizona immediately placed her hand on her back, gently rubbing soft circles across her shoulders. Callie leaned into her, laying her head on her shoulder and Arizona could immediately smell again the intoxicating aroma that was Callie. She looked up to the ceiling, willing someone or something to give her strength.

"I know exactly what you're going to do." Callie sniffed and offered a weak, "What?" Arizona lifted her face so she could look into her eyes. "You're going to go home with your beautiful, healthy baby, and you're going to find out if he's gone or not. If he isn't, you yell at him. You hear me?" Callie chuckled briefly. "I'm serious! No one gets to make you feel like this.** No one.** No one has that right, not even your husband!" Callie blinked and Arizona realized her feelings for Callie had just kick started a full-on Robbins protection mode. "You do **not** deserve to ever have to cry this way and he should know that. He should love you the way you deserve to be loved but instead he hurt you, and I don't care what the circumstances are, that is **not** acceptable."

She paused and Callie just stared at her in complete disbelief. Arizona nearly started crying, and had to pull her eyes from Callie's to finish her rant. "He doesn't know just how absolutely lucky he is." Callie sat up and grabbed Arizona's hand. They looked into each other's eyes and willed each other to say what they both wanted to hear, but neither had the courage. So they sat in silence, tears running down their cheeks until a cautiously slow smile spread on Callie's mouth.

"And what if he isn't there?" her eyebrow arched and Arizona's stomach flipped. She could already tell that that eyebrow was going to be the death of her.

"Well, then…" She reached for Callie's phone and typed in her number, then handed it back to her. "Then you just give this number a call and I'll be there, pizza and beer in hand in fifteen minutes or less."

Callie chuckled and shook her head, staring down at the phone and then back up at Arizona. "Is there a price guarantee with that?" Arizona laughed and shook her head.

"Absolutely not. I'm buying." She smiled and Callie reached forward to hug her again.

"Thank you, Arizona. Thank you so much… For everything." Arizona leaned into the hug and closed her eyes, wishing that Callie would never let go.

"Of course, Calliope. Anything you need, anything at all…" her voice dropped as she realized her tone had morphed into a low, sultry tone and Callie's eyebrow rose, almost in a teasing expression. The woman was teasing her! She cleared her throat and finished with full professionalism, "you just call me. Like I said, fifteen minutes or less." She winked and squeezed Callie's hand then stood to leave. She turned and smiled at Callie one last time and walked away, a new skip in her step.


	3. Ch 3: Clarity

AN: I don't know what's more fun, watching the emails roll in with new followers and favorites or seeing all the awesome names you guys have! Shout out to RovingOutfielder… Definitely my favorite so far! I absolutely love that scene… it might just make an appearance in this fic ;) Thanks for the continued support via reviews and follows/favorites, and keep it coming!

Here's Chapter 3: Clarity

* * *

One of the best parts of being a doctor, particularly a surgeon, is that your day never goes by slowly. One second you're waking up, and the next thing you know, you've been on your feet for over 20 hours and are ready to just collapse. Today, however, was the one day of the year apparently where time actually slowed down for a surgeon. At least, it did for Arizona Robbins. She tried everything; all of her patients were actually stable for once, no emergency cases were rolling through the pit, the clinic was even scarce. She tried to get in on some of the other surgeon's surgeries, but with boards coming up for the 5th year residents, it had proved impossible. She had checked her phone relentlessly since Callie left to see if there was any news on their possible plans, but so far, it had remained a silent nemesis. She was on her 32nd game of Solitaire when an overly large and offensive bouquet of flowers was shoved in her face. She swatted them away, rolling her chair backwards in a fit of coughs.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't see you there." Arizona looked around the flowers to see none other than George O'Malley standing in front of her. "Can you point me towards Sofia O'Malley-Torres' room? I'm her father."

She coughed and stared wide-eyed at the man standing in front of her. He had traded in his scrubs for a clean-pressed Army recruit's uniform, which she had to admit, fit him very well. That uniform though only fueled the fire that had been growing in the pit of her stomach since Callie had divulged all the hurt he had caused her that morning over coffee. That uniform sealed the end of their relationship; he knew it and Callie knew it, and now Arizona knew it. The images of Callie's tears were freshly burned on her mind, and it was all she could do to not start screaming at him. She took a deep breath and started counting down from 100.

George cleared his throat. "Uhm? Dr. Robbins? She is here, right? Or did Callie lie to me about that too?" The end of his comment was spit out as he dropped the flowers on the counter and looked over his shoulder as if Callie would come running out yelling 'YOU BEEN PUNKED.'

"No. She didn't lie to you." Arizona spat. _Breathe, Robbins. This isn't your fight._

"Okay…" he looked back to Arizona and was caught off guard by the anger piercing through the normally cheerful doctor's eyes. "Well, where is she?"

"She left." Arizona crossed her arms.

"What? What happened?"

_He's the patient's father. Treat him like any patient's father._ "She had an infected bowel and we had to operate. She was discharged this morning." _If you had cared enough to come visit while she was actually here, you'd fucking know that already, now wouldn't you?!_

"Oh, well." George cleared his throat, shrinking away from Arizona's glare. "Uhm, thank you, Dr. Robbins. I…" his voice trailed off and he reached up to scratch the back of his head and his cheeks flushed.

_Good. I hope you feel like shit, you fucking ass hole._ Arizona's phone chimed, breaking the tension. "If you don't have any more questions, you can leave now too."

"Right, well. Right." George spun on his heel, leaving the flowers and the embarrassing moment that he really didn't quite understand. But then again, he never did quite understand women.

Arizona tried her hardest to not scream. She wanted so badly to run after him and beat the pulp out of him. No one should ever make Callie feel so low and so unloved, not when she had actually committed herself to them. Callie loved him, or at least did, and he just threw that love away. How could anyone, _**anyone**_ ever do that?! She grabbed her phone and stormed towards the staircase where she started to run up the stairs. She didn't have anywhere to go, but she needed to move. She had run up and down the stairs of the hospital twice before she felt any better. Only then did she even remember her phone chime, and she looked down to find a new text message from an unknown number.

'_Hey, Arizona. It's Callie. Guess who isn't here? Everyone's favorite little soldier! You don't have to actually come_ _over tonight__ if you don't want to… We should definitely have lunch together next time we're both at the hospital, though.'_

That was definitely going to happen. She opened a response text.

'_You think I'd give up my lunch buddy that quickly?! Do you know how hard it was to find someone willing to give me their carrots? Yeah, you're not getting away that easily, Calliope. Also you bet I'm still coming. I would have earlier, but I'm just now getting this text. I'll be there soon!'_

She hit send and headed for the locker room. When she got there, her phone chimed again and it was Callie.

'_Well, little soldier finally decided to show up. He looks scared though… says he just came from the hospital. Give us a few. I'll text you.'_

Arizona threw her shirt down, and texted back quickly with practiced fingers.

'_YOU YELL AT HIM CALLIOPE TORRES. YOU YELL.'_

She threw her phone in her purse and continued getting dressed, hoping that Callie would actually take her advice.

* * *

She read the text repeatedly with a dumb smile on her face while George stormed through their bedroom throwing what could only be described as a hissy fit.

"AND WHAT ARE YOU SMILING ABOUT?!" George screamed, noticing that Callie hadn't even been paying attention to him.

Callie looked up at him, putting her phone down on the bed. "You want to know what I'm smiling about? I'm smiling about the only person to show me that I matter and show me that I am decent enough to be loved texting me to tell me to yell at you. And you know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do George!" He rolled his eyes and reached for the door. She grabbed his arm before he could and pulled him back into the room and he landed on the bed. "No! You don't get to walk away from this! Not until I say so!" George opened his mouth to talk, but she cut him off.

"No! It's my turn! Because as much as you claim I do all the yelling, I have **never** gotten a single chance to actually say anything in this marriage!" She took a deep breath. "I loved you, George. I mean, I really, **really** loved you. Do you know how much it hurt when I realized you didn't love me back? When you decided to go out and sleep with Izzie?!" She spat the girl's name, hating the sound of it in the air. "When you can't even look at our daughter, to take a **second** to care about her while she's in the hospital!?" She was pacing now and was trying to keep her words in English, which was proving more difficult than she planned. "And now what, George?! Now you just leave?! I LOVED YOU!" She spun, staring at him and yelling it with every ounce of being she had.

He paused, letting each word hit him and he shook his head. "…I loved you, too."

Callie straightened her back and cocked her head, shooting a glare of pure hatred towards him. She could feel Arizona's words rippling through her, reminding her that she didn't deserve this. She deserved to be loved. She deserved better than this. "You didn't love me! You just didn't want to be alone. Or maybe, _maybe_ I was good for your ego. Or, or maybe I made you feel better about your miserable life, but you didn't love me, because you **don't** destroy the person that you love!" She let the last bit of her fight fly out with her last words and her anger deflated. She had finally said what her heart had been screaming for months, and she didn't have any anger left to flare. She was done.

George's eyes grew wide and he realized the finality of her argument. He stood up, took his wedding ring off, and placed it on the dresser. He grabbed his bag and with a final glance to Callie's unmoving statuesque body, left the apartment.

She collapsed onto the bed and reveled in the peace flowing into her bedroom for the first time. It was the same peace she found with Sofia, and now she could find it everywhere. Finally. Finally, he was gone.

* * *

**AN**: So now we can move on to true Calzona! :D That last rant that Callie goes on always hit me so hard, and I always wished she had yelled it at George, not that patient's husband. What'd you think of Callie's rantings? Let me know in the reviews!


	4. Ch 4: 30 Second Dance Party

**AN**: New shout out to ImSoCoolIPissIceCubes: that is seriously the funniest name I think I've read so far. I got a good chuckle out of that one! And thanks for the review! I love how badass Callie is, it's one of my favorite parts about writing her so far… she doesn't take shit lying down, that's for sure.

Here's Chapter 4: 30 Second Dance Party

* * *

Callie stayed lying on her bed as the peace in her room slowly started to mix with overwhelming excitement. She had to tell Arizona! She sat up and reached for her phone then dialed her number; her hands were too shaky to even think about texting. It only took one ring before the blonde answered with a sense of panic in her voice.

"Calliope?"

Callie's heart skipped a beat. She loved the way her name flowed from the blonde's mouth.

"Arizona! Oh my god!" She flopped back onto the bed, and tears just started flowing down her face. There were so many emotions racing under her skin, the only thing she could think to do was cry.

"Calliope, are you crying?" She heard the Latina laugh with a high pitched squeal.

"No. Are **you** crying?!" Arizona laughed and leaned against her car. She heard Callie chuckle again, and the panic she didn't even realize had been building, slowly started to ease.

"Of course not! But, Calliope. I can hear you crying. Is everything ok? How did it go with George?" She unlocked the car and got in, nervously awaiting her answer.

"I yelled at him! And oh my god, Arizona! I have **never** felt so good in my life!" The way Callie growled through the word never made Arizona squirm in her seat. She instantly started picturing all the things she wished she could do to Callie to make her feel so good that this feeling wouldn't even compare. "You were so, so, so right! God, he's finally gone!" Callie paused but Arizona could not stop thinking of Callie's body under her own. "Arizona?"

"Hm? Oh. Sorry! I uhm… got distracted…" Arizona's cheeks blushed and she smacked her head into her palm. Day dreaming about the woman while she was on the phone with her was not a smart idea… "That's so great, Calliope! So we're happy about this then?"

Callie cleared her throat and sighed deeply. "Yes. Yes, we are very happy about this."

"Well, good! Yay!" Arizona laughed into the phone and soon after, Callie's laughter joined her. "Do you still want some company tonight? I just got off." She started the engine of her car and turned the heat up. Seattle nights were starting to get just a bit chilly for the blonde's tastes.

Callie paused. Suddenly the thought of not having Arizona come over terrified her. She _was_ happy about George leaving, but something about actually being alone finally hit her. "Yes! Yes of course! I can't wait to see you." Arizona's heart skipped. "I'll text you my address, and I expect pizza! I have beer though! Oh, and I have wine! And I have –"

Arizona cut her off. "Beer sounds perfect. I'll see you soon!" The endearment in her voice carried and Callie smiled.

"Drive safe. I don't want you destroying my dinner."

* * *

Arizona pulled up to the apartment building and suddenly butterflies filled her stomach. _Pull it together, Robbins. This isn't a date._ She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and decided to just focus on the immediate. She grabbed the pizza, realizing she had never actually asked Callie what she wanted… she had just gotten her favorite, pepperoni and olives. _Well, here's hoping she doesn't hate pepperoni or olives…_ She shrugged and walked up the stairs to Callie's apartment. A door across the hall flew open and a rather scantily clothed beautiful woman clumsily clambered into the hallway. "I can't do this anymore, Mark! You have a daughter! and a… and a…" the brunette wobbled away crying, not able to finish the sentence. Arizona's eyebrow raised and she looked in to see Mark holding a pillow over his pelvis. He waved and gave her the Sloan smile that had made him so famous among the female nurses and residents at the hospital. She nodded back and closed his door for him then walked back across the hall to Callie's. She could hear music blasting inside and she creased her brow. _What is going on in there?_ She knocked, but no one answered. Mark's door opened slightly and he poked his head out. "Go ahead and just walk in. She never locks the door." He winked and she smiled weakly. "Uhm, thanks."

"No problem. Enjoy your pizza." He smiled and closed his door again.

Taking his advice, she pushed the door open and the scene in front of her brought a huge smile to her face. Callie had Sofia in her arms and was dancing all over the apartment to some amazing upbeat Spanish music she had never heard before. Callie was singing along, and the sound of her native Spanish flowing from her lips was absolutely enchanting. She laughed as Callie dipped Sofia down and the baby gave a hearty laugh. She spun and finally caught sight of Arizona standing in the doorway with their pizza and a huge smile spread across her face. "Arizona!" She was panting, and Arizona had to try with all of her might to not watch the Latina's chest as it moved up and down with every breath. "We were just having a dance party! Put the pizza down and join us!"

Arizona's dimples came out in full force as she pulled her coat off before putting the pizza down on the counter. She swung her hips to the beat, letting them pull her closer towards Callie with every step. Callie put Sofia down in her pack-n-play and threw her arms in the air, waving her hips to the beat. Arizona matched her and then Callie grabbed her arm softly, making her pause. "Wait… for… it…!" Tension held in the air and Callie's mouth formed a huge smile in anticipation. The beat dropped and Callie and Arizona both started dancing around each other, Arizona jumping around and Callie throwing her hands in the air. Arizona moved in front of Callie, who placed her hands on her hips, swaying them perfectly. She instinctively moved back, pressing herself against the solid body behind her who started to move her hips in sync with the blonde. They broke away and Arizona threw her hands in the air, spinning around to face Callie. They kept dancing together, laughing the whole time until the song ended and Callie sauntered to the stereo to turn it off.

Arizona's laughter faded as she walked to the counter and she realized she was considerably out of breath. Callie was too, though, and she bounced to the cabinet to get two glasses out. "Water?" Callie asked and Arizona nodded. "Yes, please!"

"That was so much **fun**!" Arizona took the glass from Callie, who just laughed and nodded. "What'd you call it?"

"A dance party. It's something I picked up from Meredith and Cristina a while back. Sofia loves it."

"Well, I can see why. You're an incredible dancer, Calliope!" Callie paused and looked up.

"Ha, well if you want to call that dancing! I was just… moving. You gotta up your standards, hon." She winked and opened the pizza box.

"Oh, my standards are high enough. Just take the compliment." The women laughed and Callie nodded, succeeding to the blonde's argument. "Fine, thank you Dr. Robbins." Arizona smiled in response and hopped off the bar stool to get a slice of the pizza and grab a beer that Callie had just pulled from the fridge.

Callie paused when she looked at the pizza and stared at Arizona in what appeared to be a state of confusion. "Oh, I just got my favorite… I hope you don't mind? I forgot to ask what kind you wanted and I guess I should have at least asked if you were Vegetarian, but I –"

"No! It's perfect! It's my favorite, too!" Arizona relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. "I was just wondering how you keep guessing all of my favorites. You even knew how I take my coffee."

The blonde laughed, "Well the pizza was mere coincidence. Great minds and all that, yeah?" Callie laughed. "But the coffee… Calliope, we've been going to the same coffee cart for nearly 3 years now. You order the same coffee the same way every morning. It doesn't take a detective to figure it out."

Callie sputtered on her beer, and wiped her mouth. She cleared her face of the shock and tried to recover gracefully. "How could I not realize that?" Arizona flopped down on the couch, and Callie sat across from her.

"Oh, don't worry about it! You always seem just a bit distracted… like only a percentage of you is actually walking around. Your mind always seems to be running around some place." Callie thought about what she said and it really hit her how true those words were.

She took a deep breath. No one had seemed to notice that before. "You know what, Arizona, you're really right. I've always spent my life so completely focused on something that I can't even really remember the day to day of the last few years." Arizona nodded knowingly, but didn't interrupt her. "I was so focused on my career as a surgeon when I first moved to Seattle that I literally _lived_ in the hospital." Arizona laughed. "It's true! In the basement."

"What?! By the morgue!?" Arizona choked on her beer.

Callie laughed. "Yep. By the morgue. Until the chief found me dancing in my underwear one night… yeah _that_ was awkward." Arizona was laughing so hard she had to hold her sides. Callie just chuckled and shook her head remembering the look on the chief's face. "Then George found me and everything in my life since then has been about him. I had to make sure he had a friend, and then I had to make sure that he felt loved. I had to comfort him and make sure he was going to be alright after his Dad died, and then when the only thing left to make him any happier was to marry him, I did."

She stopped and Arizona froze, knowing any movement might end the story before Callie had said what she really needed to say. "I never stopped to ask, what about me? I always made sure everything in my life was set perfectly according to plan, and then made sure that the guy who wandered into my life was constantly as happy as he could be." She paused to take a drink. "I mean, making him happy made me happy. But then everything stopped working, I couldn't find a way to make him any happier and I started accepting life as this kind of dull pain." Arizona stopped herself from reaching out to her. "I've always wanted a baby, and I thought maybe having one would be that last kick that I could give to make George happy again…" her voice trailed off and finally Arizona grabbed her hand, not able to hold back anymore. She stroked Callie's hand with her thumb and squeezed it gently, reassuring her. Her hands were surprisingly soft for being so strong.

Callie looked up into Arizona's brilliantly blue eyes and smiled. "But you know what? He's gone now. And I'm going to get back up and I'm going to do what will make me happy. For once in my life, I'm going to figure out what makes me happy." Callie hadn't figured out very much in the last few days, but the one thing she knew was that she was happier in this moment than she had been in a very, very long time. The simple fact that Arizona had come and danced with her and ate pizza and just let her talk was exactly what she needed; it was exactly what made her happy. Arizona made her happy.

Arizona squeezed Callie's hand and then practically jumped across the couch to wrap Callie in a hug. The Latina sat stunned and unable to move for a fraction of a second before melting into the embrace and they held onto each other as time froze. Sofia's cry finally broke the spell and Callie smiled as she got up, apologizing. Arizona followed her, picking up their dishes along the way. "It's someone's bed time, isn't it baby girl?" Callie cooed to Sofia.

"Oh, I can head out now if you need to get to sleep." She stacked the plates into the dishwasher and Callie smiled, loving how quickly Arizona had made herself comfortable in her apartment.

"Sofia goes down pretty quickly… especially after a dance party. If you want to break out the wine, we can sit and talk some more or watch a movie? I don't usually get to bed for a few more hours."

Arizona considered all the possibilities of what could happen if she stayed… particularly when alcohol was involved. Then she looked into Callie's eyes and saw just the slightest glimpse of something that shook her to the core. She saw fear in Callie's eyes and realized this would be the first night that she was truly alone. The strong Ortho surgeon would never admit it, but she was obviously terrified of spending the evening completely alone. She decided then and there to not take advantage of Callie, but that she couldn't just leave; not yet, anyways. "That sounds wonderful. I'll find the wine and see what movies you have while you put baby girl to sleep." She walked over and kissed the baby on the head, whispering good night. Callie smiled and took in the moment of someone adoring her baby as openly as she always wished George would before walking into the nursery and singing Sofia to sleep.

Arizona found the wine and picked out Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail, then settled into the couch for a night of movie watching. Callie came out of the nursery a few minutes later and settled down on the couch, reaching for her own glass. "Oh, I love this movie!"

Arizona smiled. "Me too! It's one of my absolutely favorites. I think I could quote every line by the time I was 12."

Callie pointed to herself, "10. Step it up, Robbins!"

Somewhere between the assassination of the Historian and the Holy Hand Grenade, Callie pushed a pillow onto Arizona and leaned over, lying on her lap. Arizona mindlessly started running her fingers through her raven hair and Callie almost immediately fell soundly asleep. When the movie ended, Arizona shifted slightly and Callie groaned without opening her eyes. "Arizona, stop… Can't you see a girl's trying to sleep?"

Arizona laughed and pulled the hair out of the Latina's face. "Calliope, you should go to bed. Come on, I'll tuck you in and then I'll go home after you've fallen back asleep." Callie smiled and still with her eyes glued shut, sat up and walked to the bedroom where she flopped down on the bed. Arizona gathered the wine glasses and empty wine bottle then walked to the kitchen to put everything away. She sauntered to the bedroom and spotted Callie in her pajamas cozily tucked into the bed. She sat down and put Callie's head back on her lap and started combing through her hair again.

Callie sighed. "Arizona, you're pretty freaking wonderful, you know that?"

Arizona smiled. "Yeah, I know. Now go to sleep so I can go home."

Callie laughed and groggily tried to answer but her thoughts drifted to another world where for the first time, everything had shifted from panic and stress to bliss and relaxation. That was the first night Callie dreamt of Arizona Robbins.


	5. Ch 5: Panic

**AN**: Thank you guys so much for the continued support, and I hope to not disappoint! I know it's taking a *long* time to get any M-rated material in, but I don't want this to just be smut. I really like writing these characters and developing them, but don't worry… It's on its way!

Here's Chapter 5: Panic

* * *

Callie woke with an arm around her waist, and she instinctively pulled it forward, nestling into the embrace and holding on tightly to the feeling of being loved. She had missed this feeling of being cuddled in the morning and when she realized why her eyes shot open and she froze, not able to breathe. Arizona shifted closer and tightened her grip on the Latina. Their legs were entwined, and she pressed forward, nudging her knee between Callie's legs. The Ortho surgeon's breath hitched and she started panting as her center started pulsing, yearning for more friction. She couldn't help her body's reaction and she instantly couldn't breathe. The blonde growled a groggy moan and Callie bit her lip, throwing her eyes to the heavens asking for strength. She could feel herself react and the wetness that was forming at her center as Arizona shifted again, moving her leg against her again.

With as much strength as she could muster, Callie formed words, albeit breathy and rough. "Arizona?"

The blonde groaned slightly, still enjoying the bliss of sleep. "…mph?"

"Arizona? I uhm… you…" blue eyes shot open and suddenly the blonde's body was frozen in place, but her heart was racing. She quickly untangled herself and pushed back with all the grace of a bull in a China shop. She sat up on the bed and covered her mouth as she gasped.

"Oh my god, Calliope! I am so sorry!" She buried her face in her hands. "I am so so so sorry! I just…. I…" Callie rolled over to face Arizona, but she had no idea what to say. After the initial shock, she actually really loved the feeling of being in Arizona's arms, and that thought alone terrified her. But then, the way her body reacted to Arizona… even while she was sleeping … was absolutely the most exhilarating feeling in the world. She still wasn't sure if she had honestly woken up Arizona to get away from her or to get inside of her. She bit her lip again at the thought. Arizona peeked through her fingers to see how horrified Callie was but all she saw was a very, very sexy woman with the most tantalizingly ravenous expression staring directly back at her. Her heart started racing and her stomach spun. She used all of her strength to not jump the woman in that very second. "I should go." Arizona jumped off the bed and practically ran for the door, leaving her jacket and a very confused Callie behind.

* * *

Callie got dressed in a daze; she just could not stop thinking about Arizona wrapped around her. She tried to think of everything but the blonde, but suddenly Arizona was her world. She was in her thoughts when she was awake and while she was dreaming. She saw Arizona's coat hanging on the chair in the kitchen and picked it up, deciding to bring it with her as collateral for getting her alone to talk; she knew better than to think Arizona wouldn't be avoiding her like the plague all day.

After she dropped Sofia off at daycare, she started her futile manhunt to find Arizona. She had four surgeries lined up that day: two knee replacements, a hip replacement, and a tibial fracture repair. They took most of her concentration, but the second she stopped thinking about bones, all she could think about was Arizona; but the woman just wouldn't show herself!

She leaned against the nurse's station, filling out the last of the paperwork for the day when Mark came sliding down the counter and bumped her hip. "Hey." Mark said, an eyebrow perched and a stupid smile on his face.

"Hey." Callie answered without looking up from her chart.

"You seem a bit distracted today." Mark paused and reached for a mint in the bowl by the nurse. "Enjoy your pizza?" Callie jerked her head up at the comment, throwing a shocked look at him.

"What?!"

"Your pizza. Oh, and the blonde that came attached to it." He chomped down and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Who told you!? Have you seen her!? Where is she!?" Callie slammed the chart in front of her closed and looked around, hoping to catch sight of the peds surgeon.

"Whoa, jumpy much?" Mark looked at her with a genuine hint of concern. "I haven't seen her. Well. I saw her." Callie stared at him. "Last night… I saw her last night. She would've stood outside knocking for half an hour if I hadn't told her to just walk in."

"Oh…" Callie's voice dropped and she cocked her hip, leaning against the counter. "Well, if you see her, can you tell her I have her coat?"

"I don't see her. Kids don't usually ask for boob jobs." Mark smiled and reached for another mint.

"Right…" Callie cleared her throat, trying to seem nonchalant. "So, what do you know about Dr. Arizona Robbins?"

"I know she won't sleep with me." The nurse at the station suddenly sprayed the water she had been drinking all over the counter, making the two surgeons jump away from the counter and stare at her accusingly, demanding an explanation.

"Sorry! It's just… you aren't exactly Arizona's type is all." The nurse started laughing and shaking her head as she wiped down the counter. Mark looked offended.

"I am every woman's 'type'." He threw air quotes in for emphasis. "I love women, and women love me!"

The nurse kept laughing and she sat back down, picking up the phone. "Women love her, too." The nurse winked and then returned to the phone.

Callie nearly fainted. She wasn't just making all of this up then! What did all of this **mean**!? She had to talk to Arizona… now. She walked away, leaving a shocked Mark with his mouth hanging wide open

She completed another loop around the surgical wing, still not spying the blonde, so she finally decided to pull out her phone and just text her.

_Arizona, hey. I know you're avoiding me… but please. Just talk to me. I'm done with surgeries for the day, so unless something comes in the pit, I'm free. Please. I need to talk to you._

She hit send and shoved her phone in her pocket.

She was sitting in the attending's lounge with a cup of coffee in her hand nervously bouncing her knee when her phone finally buzzed.

_Ok. Can you meet in the on-call room by my nurse's station in 5?_

She stood up and threw the coffee away, texting as fast as her fingers would let her.

_Thank you! On my way._

* * *

When she got there, Arizona was already inside, pacing back and forth. Callie closed the door and locked it, turning to face the nervous meltdown exploding in her face.

"Calliope, I am SO sorry! I don't know what happened or why. I was going to go home, but I guess I fell asleep… wine does that to me sometimes, and I guess out of habit I must have… God, Calliope I am so sorry!" Arizona paused and spun in step to face Callie who just had a look of complete shock on her face. "Tell me I didn't just scar you for life." Callie didn't say a word instead just let her mouth hang agape. "I'll just leave… I'm sorry Calliope. I don't know what came over me…" She went to walk around Callie, but she grabbed her arm and held her with a strong grip.

Callie turned her head slowly to look at her and without any emotion asked, "You're gay?"

Arizona froze. Her heart stopped completely and the room froze in time. She turned to face Callie and tried to say something. Her voice failed her and all she could muster was a very quiet and weak, "…What?"

Callie turned to face her completely. "The nurse… she said you're gay?" Callie's voice held nothing but confusion and anticipation. There was no judgment or harshness to her tone at all and relief washed over Arizona.

"Yeah…" Arizona cleared her throat. "Yeah, I am."

Callie dropped her grip and breathed out a huge sigh of relief. Her whole body relaxed of all the tension it had been holding since that morning and she grabbed the bed for support when she almost fell over. "WHEW!" She started laughing and looked up at Arizona whose turn it was to be very confused. "I thought I was going crazy!" Arizona furrowed her eyebrows. "Arizona, the glances, the talking, noticing all the little things I do…" Callie stood up and threw her hands in the air, "the cuddling! I thought I was going crazy!"

Arizona backed away slowly and Callie reached out to grab her hand. "Wait. I'm sorry. Don't go. I just… I thought that I was the only one who might actually have any feelings growing in this…" she squeezed Arizona's hand "this whole thing we have going here. And you can't tell me you don't feel it." Arizona looked to the ground. "I mean, if I am going crazy, just tell me? I could be reading you all wrong. And if all you want to do is be friends that is completely fine with me! Just tell me? And then we can move on from there… I'd rather have you as an awesome friend than nothing. So if I just messed up big time…"

Arizona cut her off by finally letting herself do exactly what she wanted to do since the first time she had locked eyes with Callie. She pulled her flush against her body and wrapped her arms around her. She hovered just centimeters from her lips and breathed her in. Electricity flew across their bodies and Callie gave a soft moan which broke the last bit of Arizona's resolve to not kiss the woman. Their lips met in a way that can only be described as perfect. They instantly ignited in each other a flame that burned so hot it threatened to never end. With every breath, with every movement no matter how slight, the flame between them only grew more intense. Callie's hips found Arizona's first and started to grind against her. Arizona's hands reached to the back of Callie's head and pressed her lips more securely against her own. Moans filled the on-call room as Callie reached down to Arizona's thighs and then her ass, grabbing it with strong hands. Arizona parted her mouth and Callie's tongue entered purposefully, immediately dancing with Arizona's. Callie lifted Arizona off the ground and she wrapped her legs around the Latina's waist effortlessly, grinding against her. Callie moved, pressing Arizona against the wall and breaking the kiss to find brilliant blue eyes staring hungrily into her own.

Both women stayed staring into each other's eyes, panting. They both seemed to be looking for words to say, but falling short until Callie's voice finally broke the silence. "Holy. Crap."

Arizona started laughing and wrapped her arms around Callie's neck, then shifted her lustful gaze into endearment. "You can say that again."

"Holy crap."

They both laughed and Callie set Arizona onto the ground. "I take it I'm not the only one developing some feelings then?"

Arizona leaned in and kissed her again briefly, so casually it felt like they'd kissed their whole lives. "You are definitely not the only one, Calliope. Most definitely not the only one."

Callie's mouth spread into a wide smile, and soon dimples appeared on Arizona's cheeks in response. Callie leaned in and kissed Arizona again, this time with a smile on her face. Arizona leaned into the kiss with a laugh and pulled away. Callie immediately protested. "No, come back, I want to kiss you again." Callie leaned in again and Arizona put her hands on her face, kissing her briefly then holding her at a distance. Callie groaned and she frowned over dramatically.

"Oh, stop pouting." She kissed Callie again softly then leaned back. "Calliope, as much as I would absolutely love to keep standing here kissing you all day…" Callie leaned in, interrupting her with another kiss. "We really can't. I have tiny humans to save."

Callie grumbled in defiance. "Did you really have to pull the tiny human card?"

Arizona laughed. "Yes! And are we forgetting the little fact that you're still married?"

Callie looked down suddenly as if her wedding ring was on fire. "Oh, right…"

Arizona lifted her gaze by her chin. "Hey. Look at me." Callie's eyes shifted to find Arizona's. "You take your time. Figure out you, and get yourself settled. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be there with you through it as long as you want me to be, and I'll be waiting on the other end. Because this?" She kissed Callie briefly but with a sense of overwhelming desire. "This is too good to mess up. If you want us to happen, I want us to happen; but I want us to happen the right way." A tear brimmed in Callie's eyes as she listened to the words that would change her life forever. She knew it immediately that Arizona was going to be the one to bring light and life back into her. She already had in so many ways. She felt free of a terrible nightmare that had haunted her for too long. She felt awakened.

Callie placed one hand on Arizona's hip, the other behind her head and pulled Arizona in for a kiss to end all kisses. She breathed in the other woman and let her fill her entirely. Their lips met with sparks and suddenly the world around them: the bed, the walls, the floor, the whole hospital faded into oblivion and time stopped moving forwards. Clocks halted, people stopped running from one emergency to the next; nothing else moved except for their hearts' strong beating, pulsing blood through their bodies in sync. Stars and galaxies were spinning around them, and only when they had each lost all of their breath did they separate. Slowly, the stars faded, the galaxies returned to their far off locales, and the walls of the hospital reconstructed themselves. Callie didn't notice though, and neither did Arizona. Their eyes were locked in passion and fervent need to feel each other even more.

Arizona was the first to break the silence… her voice hitched the first time she tried, but she forced her vocal chords into obedience. "Holy. Crap."


	6. Ch 6: Gushing

**AN**: A shorter chapter, but there will be another one coming by the end of the day. I just had this moment this morning where I woke up with these scenes in my head and had to write it out.

Thanks again for the reviews! You guys are really incredible. Writing for the Calzona fandom was definitely a good decision :)

Chapter 6: Gushing

* * *

Callie went home that night in a sort of trance. She even forgot to close her front door when she went to put Sofia in her pack-n-play so she could make dinner. Mark came strolling in while Callie was staring at the spaghetti noodles, lost in thought about everything that had happened in the on-call room earlier that day.

"Fascinating things noodles are." Callie jumped and flung her hand to her chest as she spun around to see Mark standing at her kitchen bar.

"Oh, God! Mark! You scared me!"

"Well, you left your door wide open. I figured you were either being burgled or something was up. Either way, there enough for me too?" Mark draped his coat over the sofa and sat down at the bar.

"Yeah, I made extra to have leftovers for tomorrow, but you can stay." Mark smiled and got up to get a glass of water. "On one condition!" He paused. "You have to let me talk about what happened today and you can't judge me for it."

"Torres, when have I ever judged you for anything?" Callie paused and shrugged.

"I've never done something like this before, though. This is… well I don't know what this is."

"Well, just start talking and we'll figure it out." He leaned against the fridge and watched Callie cook.

Callie took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to even start. She finally decided to just spit out the words in her head and see what happens. "I kissed a peds surgeon." Mark sputtered out the mouth full of water he had just taken.

"You kissed a peds surgeon!?"

Callie ignored him, and just kept talking to the boiling pot of water. "I never thought I'd end up with a woman. I mean, not until lately, but that's not the problem."

"Do you have wine? We need wine." Mark moved robotically around Callie, opening all the cabinets until he found a bottle of red and the wine glasses.

Callie kept talking without missing a beat. "She's perky and has butterflies on her scrub cap." Mark handed her a glass, which she took without looking at him, she just kept stirring. Mark drained his glass and poured himself another while Callie took one sip and kept talking. "But she's also hot… **Really** hot." Callie involuntarily growled the word and Mark's eyebrows shot up. "Also, I'm married and I have no idea where my husband is except maybe out in asscrackistan trying to get himself killed just so he doesn't have to see my face every day." Mark laughed and Callie finally snapped out of her trance and went to turn off the burner and drain the spaghetti. She laughed with him and they moved to the table to sit down and eat.

"Well, Torres, that's …" he paused trying to find the right word. "A lot."

She sighed. "Tell me about it." Sofia started fussing, and as Callie started to get up to get her, Mark got up. "No, sit, eat. I'll get her." Callie smiled and took another sip of wine.

Mark came back, bouncing Sofia in his arms and sat down at the table. "So."

Callie put her fork down. "So."

"You kissed Arizona?"

Callie nodded slowly "I did."

"And how did that go…?"

Callie smiled and looked down, all of the sudden very giddy. "It was amazing, Mark. I mean, shoot you over the moon and aaaallll o' that."

"Well, what are you gonna do about it then?"

Callie sighed. "I want to be with her, and she wants to be with me. But she said she wants me to settle this thing with George first, and I don't know how to do it! I can't find him and he's not answering his phone. He's gone completely AWOL, the little jerk."

Mark handed Sofia off to Callie and started eating. "I know a guy. I'll have him track him down for you. So you're gonna divorce him?"

Callie nodded seriously. "I know my family and his family both are going to have a really hard time with it, but I can't do this anymore. Not when I can see now what I've been missing all these years. It's a no-brainer on my part." She paused, thinking about Arizona again and how different she felt whenever they were together. She was so happy with her and she just felt unstoppable. "It's so different with Arizona. She really makes me happy."

Mark pushed back from the table. "Even a blind man could see that, Callie. I'll give my guy a call tonight and see what he can do, and then once that's all settled, you're going to go get that peds surgeon of yours." The mention of Arizona as _her_ peds surgeon made Callie as giddy as a teenage girl. "And don't worry about the butterfly scrub cap thing. You'll learn to love it." He winked and got up, carrying the plates with him to the sink.

* * *

"Callie?! Like, Dr. Callie Torres, Ortho surgeon… the bone God?" Teddy's eyes were huge.

Arizona just nodded, and took another sip of wine. "The one and only."

Teddy sat back with a huff. "Wow. Well, ok. Not your typical."

Arizona looked off into the distance. "I know. She's so edgy and tough, yet she has this _passion_ to her and she cares about everyone." She took a sip of wine, thinking about Callie made her mouth run dry. "They teach us not to see our patients, just to see our surgeries… that disconnect. They say it makes us better surgeons." Teddy nodded knowingly. "But she doesn't do that. She cares, and I love that about her."

"But, Arizona, she's married." Arizona nodded. "And she has a kid! You don't even like kids!"

Arizona looked at Teddy sharply. "Hey! I love the tiny humans!" She paused and cocked her head. "I just didn't want any of my own…" Arizona drained her glass of wine. "but Sofia… she's—" she couldn't think of the word to describe her.

"Different?" Teddy offered.

Arizona nodded. "I kissed her on her head and said goodnight last night when I was at Callie's apartment. I didn't even think about it, I just did it... and it felt right. That little girl is as amazing as her mother."

Teddy poured Arizona more wine. "Girl, you have got it bad."

"You're telling me."


	7. Ch 7: The Divorce

Chapter 7: The Divorce

* * *

A phone call woke Callie up the next morning; it was strange to be woken up by her phone rather than the crying baby or beeping pager she had become accustomed to. What was even more bizarre was the name on the caller ID. "George?"

"Call off your stupid watch dog, Callie."

She rubbed her eyes. "What do you mean my watch dog?"

"Some guy keeps calling me from different numbers telling me that I need to contact you. So fine. I give up. Call him off and please just leave me alone."

Oh, this must be the guy that Mark was talking about… "I can't."

"Why not? Callie, this guy is making my life a living hell. I didn't sleep at all last night." Callie _almost_ felt bad for him.

"Well I've been trying to get a hold of you but you wouldn't answer, and I really need to talk to you."

George sighed. "I know. I was just trying to give you some space. I think we both need some time to figure everything out." A high pitched voice came ringing from the background. '_George, who are you talking to?_' Callie could recognize that voice anywhere: Izzie Stevens. A rage flew through her and she almost threw her phone across the room, instead she squeezed it in her hand, imagining it was his neck.

"IZZIE!? You're with IZZIE STEVENS?!" Callie started screaming in Spanish until George finally started screaming back.

"You don't get to be mad! You kicked ME out, remember?! Izzie has always been there for me! So yeah, when _you_ kicked _me_ out, she was there! Just like she ALWAYS HAS."

Callie froze, not even able to think she was so angry. "George, you are bringing me signed divorce papers by the end of the week or I will kill you before you get a chance to go have someone else do it for me."

She hung up the phone and immediately missed having a phone she could slam down on a receiver. Somehow, touching the end button on the face of her phone just didn't do her anger justice.

* * *

Arizona's phone buzzed just as she was finishing her morning rounds. If it had been anyone but Callie, she would have ignored it to get started on prepping her operations for the day, but over the last few weeks her priorities had shifted.

_George called me this morning... and I really need to talk to you. Can you meet me in the on-call room on the third floor after rounds?_

_Sure. Just finished, see you in a min._

She raced up the stairs, anxious to hear what had happened with George. When she opened the door, it was most definitely not what she was expecting.

"Calliope?" Callie was pacing and at seeing Arizona, flung her hands in the air and started screaming in Spanish. Arizona jumped and her eyes went wide. She closed the door, carefully maneuvered around the storming Latina and sat down on the bed, watching Callie move from one end of the room to the other.

She offered supportive comments as the woman ranted, but she had absolutely no idea what she was saying, and she was almost positive the Latina couldn't even hear her over the sound of her own voice. She paged the only person she could think of to help.

* * *

"Uh-huh, okay, I can see you're very upset…" Callie kept pacing and yelling.

Almost ten minutes into Callie's rantings, Mark finally stuck his head in. "You paged, Robbins?"

Arizona shot up and walked over to him without Callie even noticing. "You're her best friend, and I'm at a huge loss right now…" She looked past Mark. "Not to mention the very sick children…"

Mark patted her on the shoulder. "Go, I got this."

Arizona scooted past Mark. "Thank you!" and she rolled off back to her happy place full of sick children and problems she knew how to fix.

Mark grabbed Callie by the shoulders, stopping her in her place. It was the first time she realized Arizona wasn't even there anymore which caused her to look up at Mark, startled.

"Stop speaking Spanish! I have a surgery in ten minutes and I don't speak Spanish!" Mark shook her, and Callie stood stunned, not able to look away. "Ok, now what's going on?"

"George is sleeping with Izzie again. He called me this morning and I could hear her in the background. He's been with her the whole time!"

Mark's grip loosened. "Oh."

Callie rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I told him to get me divorce papers by the end of the week or I'd kill him."

Mark let go of her arms and laughed. "Well that explains why he was so scared and frantic this morning. It didn't even look like he had combed his hair."

"What?! He was here!? When!? Why didn't anyone tell me!?"

"Yeah, he had me paged this morning to give me an envelope for you. Said something about his Program Office letting him use their lawyer… but anyways, he didn't want to see you, and he told me to wait at least half an hour before telling you. I guess he really thought you might kill him and he wanted a running start."

"Oh." Callie sank onto the bed with a dazed expression, not yet quite comprehending what was happening.

Mark sat down beside her. "I put it in your mailbox for you."

"Thanks." She couldn't believe he actually did it. She realized she might not ever see George again and at first, everything went dark. She couldn't picture her life without him; Sofia's life. This was really happening; her marriage was ending.

"You okay? Want me to page Robbins back up here?"

Arizona. She remembered instantly why it was that she had asked for the divorce in the first place and the darkness went away. Her life wasn't about George anymore. Her life was about happiness and whoever in her life that made her happy. She thought first of Sofia and then of Arizona, followed by Mark who reached around to wrap her in a supportive hug. She nodded. "Yeah, can you please?"

"Sure thing." He leaned in and kissed her on her head, squeezing her then stood to leave.

"Mark?" He turned.

"Thank you."He smiled and with a nod was out the door.

* * *

Arizona sat through the entire explanation, finding the English translation much easier to follow. She hugged Callie as she finished and held her as she sobbed into her shoulder. She rocked her back and forth, kissing her head and whispering to her until she stopped. After a time, Callie sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes with a laugh.

"I swear I don't actually cry this much." Arizona laughed and wiped away a tear on Callie's cheek with her thumb.

"I don't mind. Everyone needs some time to cry every once in a while, and it's not like you've had the easiest last couple of months."

Callie shrugged. "It's getting better though." She leaned in tentatively and kissed Arizona. They pressed into each other, deepening the kiss and they were both smiling when they pulled away from each other. "Much better."

"Agreed. Do you want me to be there when you sign the papers?"

Callie nodded. "Can we eat lunch here in the on-call room and I'll sign them then? Just in case there's more tears… I don't really want this to be a public event, you know?"

Arizona kissed her briefly. "Of course, Calliope. I'll see you then."

Callie kissed her, amazed that each new kiss still somehow felt like their first. She stood up, pulling the blonde to her feet. "Now go get back to saving the tiny humans!" They left the on-call room and were passing the nurse's station when Callie patted Arizona's butt. She spun around with a feigned offended look.

"Dr. Torres! Behave yourself!"

Callie leaned in to whisper to the blonde. "Oh, I _don't_ plan on behaving myself." Her low and sultry tone had the blonde shell-shocked and she froze in the middle of the hall watching Callie walk past, looking over her shoulder with a grin.

* * *

Callie signed all of the papers and left them on the nightstand before she even started to eat her lunch. She had gone through waves of emotions since that morning; anger, betrayal, depression, but had landed on excitement. She was excited to turn this new leaf in her life especially since it involved the particularly talented, brilliant, and beautiful peds surgeon sitting next to her on the on-call bed. She looked over to see said surgeon staring at her curiously.

She cocked her eyebrow. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She wiped at her mouth, but Arizona just shook her head.

"No, I'm just amazed at how well you're handling all of this." She waved her carrot in the air before chomping down on it.

"All of what? The divorce? It's long past due, let me tell you…"

"Well, yeah, there's that. But I mean… us." She motioned between the two of them. "The whole going from being straight your whole life to suddenly… this. It's just that you haven't even mentioned how freaked out you must be by this."

Callie paused, realizing she really hadn't been freaked out by any of it at all. Everything with Arizona just seemed so natural, she hadn't even thought about the fact that this meant she might be gay. She only saw it as feelings she developed for a person, who happened to be a woman. "Well, I guess I've always known that I wasn't attracted to just one sex. I'm attracted to people; who they are, how they treat me... Their sex never really seemed to be the deciding factor."

Arizona sat back and took a sip of her soda. "Really?"

Callie nodded. "Yeah. I had a thing with a girl in med school, Erica Hahn. I hear she's a pretty prominent cardiac surgeon now; she always did love to play with hearts." She laughed, thinking back on their very sudden and short adventure of a relationship. "It ended pretty quickly, but that's when I really came to realize for the first time that it didn't matter for me what sex someone was, just who they are as a person." She looked to Arizona. "And you, Arizona, are an incredible woman. I've always admired you as a surgeon, but when you helped me through everything with Sofia and now with George... I just can't help but see you in a whole new light. Less as a surgeon and more as a person, and you really are just…" she took a deep breath, taking in Arizona's every feature. "…amazing."

Arizona reached up to hold Callie's face, pausing to breathe her in, then leaned forward into a kiss. She wanted to show Callie just how much that meant to her; words simply weren't going to be enough. The other woman responded immediately, reaching behind Arizona to cradle her head. When she broke the kiss, Arizona didn't pull away; she simply stayed close enough to feel Callie's breath on her skin. Callie leaned forward and kissed her again. A moan escaped Arizona and rang through Callie like a bell, bringing a smile to her face.

"And I will not let the fact that you're a woman stop me from kissing you if they're going to keep feeling that good."

Arizona arched an eyebrow. "Oh, I can make you feel so much better than that."

The look on Arizona's face drove Callie past her point of no return. She leapt forward, taking Arizona by surprise. Her kisses were fervent and almost frenzied with desire. Arizona caught fire and returned the kiss with an equal, if not more, amount of passion. She ran her hands down Callie's sides and landed on her hips. Callie had her hands in Arizona's hair, raking her nails across her scalp. With each kiss, Callie tugged gently on Arizona's hair which quickly became her new favorite feeling. She squirmed on the bed until Callie lifted her to stand and moved her hands down to Arizona's ass, gripping it forcefully and lifted her to press her against the wall. Arizona wrapped her legs around Callie and dug her nails into her back. As soon as she did, Callie moaned into Arizona's mouth. The sound sent a ripple through the blonde's body and she started bucking her hips against Callie's pelvis. Callie moaned louder and Arizona suddenly lost all of her control. Callie rocked her hips forward, meeting Arizona's rhythm and soon she was working towards a climax. Callie left one hand on the back of Arizona's neck while the other moved forward and under her scrub top, cupping her breast, and squeezing it gently. Her moan almost turned into a squeak when Callie's hand shifted and found her nipple. Callie rocked into Arizona's bucking hips and broke from Arizona's lips to kiss her way down to the pulse point below her jaw. Arizona looked towards the ceiling and closed her eyes. Callie bit down gently, making Arizona moan in delight. "Oh, god, Calliope. Don't stop…" The Latina smiled and squeezed the breast in her strong hand, flicking the nipple gently with her thumb. She licked down Arizona's neck and rocked her hips into Arizona, taking complete command of the blonde's body. Arizona's moans started growing louder until Callie thought to kiss her again, suddenly remembering where they were.

Her tongue slipped into her mouth, dancing with Arizona's. The blonde wrapped her arms around Callie holding on tightly as she felt her climax approaching. She rocked her hips forcefully into Callie, who felt the sudden shift in urgency. She met the woman's rhythm immediately, pressing her further and further towards the edge until suddenly her body surged. Her moans turned into an almost animalistic growl, her back arched throwing her forcefully against Callie. She lost all the strength in her legs, but Callie held onto her, cradling her through her finish. Arizona shook almost uncontrollably as the powerful climax overtook her entire nervous system. Electricity was flying through her entire body as her core pulsated. When she finally remembered how to breathe again, she let her head fall to Callie's shoulder and her legs fall so she could stand. In between pants, she breathed, "Oh my god, Calliope. And I still have my clothes on?"

Callie laughed and kissed her again. She paused, taking in the new appearance of Arizona. "God, you're beautiful."

Arizona smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of Callie's face, tracing every one of her features with her eyes before she landed on her lips. "You are..." She paused to take a breath. "...incredible."

As the women met in another kiss, they both stopped to wonder how in the world they had gotten so incredibly lucky.


	8. Ch 8: Callie 2 point 0

**AN**: Thank you guys so much for being so patient with me and the kind words in the reviews and PM's. You're really the best ever. :]

This is kind of a slow moving chapter, but I felt like it was needed. Just because in this AU there's Sofia which needs to be considered that normally would have turned Arizona off, I felt like that kind of needed to be addressed a little bit. So, there's that and I tried to move it along at a decent pace as well.

Mmkay, well here's Chapter 8: Callie 2.0

* * *

There were only three weeks left until the boards, and all of the residents in the hospital were distracted, to put it mildly. Arizona had taken Karev under her wing, and when Arizona Robbins dedicates herself to something, she _dedicates_. Callie loved that about her, but she hated how distracted it made their lunch dates. All that Arizona could talk about was how 'excited she was for Karev' and how he was the 'future of peds' and on and on. Callie didn't really have much room to complain, though. She'd taken to helping Meredith study for her boards. She hated to admit it, but Grey had talent, and if anyone had any chance at actually using the Callie Torres method to its full potential, it was her. The two women had become mentors, and they took their new roles seriously.

This meant, though, that their relationship was put into a stall. After the divorce papers were sent out, they hadn't had a chance to really talk about what happened. They would steal glances through the day, and there was a particularly hot kiss in the stairwell one afternoon; but they mostly just worked. They made a point to at least have lunch together every day, and when they weren't talking about their residents, they learned a lot about each other. Callie fell more and more for Arizona every time she learned something new. Every element of the blonde came together into this beautiful, pink, little bubble that had all these stories and adventures from living all over the world. Without realizing it, Arizona was falling even more for Callie with each story. Most were depressing stories of abandonment or resentment, but what amazed her was how Callie had taken each one and turned it into pure strength. This woman was the most solid, confident, and gorgeous woman she had ever met. Both women would never admit it, but lunch had become the favorite part of their day.

Arizona stared at the clock; it was almost 11:30… Callie usually texted her by now to ask if she could meet for lunch. She wandered down to the OR board and saw that she had been rushed into a surgery; that explained it. She had never seen this one before, though so decided to grab a salad and head up to observe her lady at work. She loved watching Callie operate. She was an absolute artistic genius with a scalpel. Arizona had dated other doctors before, three since med school. But she had never been so incredibly attracted to just the pure, raw, talent like she was to Callie's. It was a rush just to sit and watch her. As if the ortho surgeon could feel her watching, she looked up at Arizona and winked. She couldn't see it, but she was sure she was smiling that amazing smile of hers too. She just got settled into her lunch when her pager went off, summoning her back into the world of magic and miracles. She left the room, ditching her salad in the trash, and pulled out her phone to shoot a text to Callie to have when she got out of surgery.

_Hey Calliope! Sorry I couldn't stay for the whole surgery, tiny humans came calling. You were amazing in there though. Let me know when you get out, I'll bring coffee! :]_

She stabilized her patient that she had been paged for and then checked on all of her other kids. She didn't need to, but after losing one of her favorites a few days before, she had started to grow even more attached than normal. She could usually separate herself from her patients, but recently she had had a hard time with it. After she checked on all of her kids, she sat playing Solitaire on the computer, waiting for a response from Callie. 20 wins in, she decided to take a stroll to get her blood pumping; she was starting to doze off. Before she really knew how, she ended up at the daycare watching Sofia. Something about her was just so enchanting. She could see little parts of Callie in her features. She had just started really smiling and when she did, she was all Calliope. Just as she had the thought, Sofia turned and gave her that winning smile. Dimples formed on the blonde's cheeks and she waved in, mouthing '_Hey baby! Hi!' _The daycare worker looked over and saw, and walked up to the door. "Good afternoon, Dr. Robbins!" These day care workers were too cheery… even for a peds surgeon.

"Hello! I was just walking around, thought I'd come in and see little Sofia." She waved again at the baby.

"Do you want to come in and say hi?" The day care worker went to get the sign-in sheet.

"Oh, no, that's fine. I'm not on the list… Really, Katherine, I thought you would have better judgment than to just let anyone in!" Arizona laughed.

The day care worker came up with the sign-in sheet. "No, you're here. Dr. Torres added you about a week ago."

Arizona froze. "…Oh. Wait, really?" Arizona tried to remember if there was anything that she might have said to make Callie do that. She remembered suddenly then that Callie had seen Arizona watching Sofia at the daycare last week after her favorite patient had died on her table. She had smiled weakly when Callie came up to her, and just walked away but they'd talked about what happened the next day at lunch. She had told Callie how calming it was to watch the healthy children in the daycare, and to be reminded that not all children will end up on her operating table. She also remembered mentioning that especially Sofia lightened her day because even if she couldn't find Callie to talk to, somehow seeing Sofia was the next best thing. Callie 2.0 she had called her. The memory made her chuckle.

"So, you want to come in and say hi?" the day care worker held the sign-in sheet in front of her and Arizona hesitated, but took the clipboard from her and signed her name.

* * *

Callie left the operating room after her nearly 4 hour long surgery. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed them before checking her phone and heading for the coffee cart. She saw the text from Arizona and smiled. She always knew exactly how to make her smile. It had been a long and difficult procedure, but she saved a life, and a leg, so she couldn't complain. All she wanted right now though was to go sit with her baby girl. She had 8 hours left on her shift, and then they could go home. She felt so guilty every time she thought about how much time her baby had to spend in the hospital's daycare… she must think that's her second home. She looked around the walls of the hospital; in a way, this was her second home.

When she got to the daycare, though, what she saw was not exactly what she was expecting. Arizona sat on the floor, bouncing Sofia in her lap. Callie paused to watch them and a huge smile spread across her face. She hadn't told Arizona about adding her to the list of people allowed to come in and visit with Sofia just because she wasn't sure if it was too much too soon; they weren't even technically a couple. When she ran into Arizona watching her the other day, she was almost confused by it. But the next day when Arizona had explained what happened, it made complete sense. Sofia was a miracle, she was alive and she was healthy. And in a place where dying babies are a daily occurrence, a baby like Sofia is a god-send. Seeing Arizona play with her baby warmed Callie to the core, but when Arizona looked up and gave Callie that huge super wonderful amazing smile, it was all she could do to hide the tears that were brimming in her eyes. She chuckled nervously and wiped her eyes then signed herself in.

Arizona smiled and bounced Sofia who was laughing up a storm. "You see Mami? Look, Sofi! Mami!" She turned the baby who immediately reached for the Latina.

"Ooohhh, that's Mami's big girl!" Callie cooed as she took Sofia from Arizona's arms.

Arizona smiled warmly. "Hey."

Callie looked over Sofia's shoulder and smiled. She leaned over and kissed Arizona's cheek. "Hey."

Arizona closed her eyes, taking in Callie's warm touch. "How did the surgery go?"

Callie took a deep breath. "Good! He's in recovery now. It'll take a lot of physical therapy, but he'll walk again."

"You're amazing!" Arizona said knowingly. Callie shrugged and laughed when Sofia pulled her hair.

"How about you? Everything ok?" Callie watched Arizona's expression carefully, hoping she wasn't visiting Sofia to escape the emotional horrors of another one of her kids dying.

"Yeah, just bored. All of my patients are stable and Karev is finally starting to show some progress… you know, now that his boards are tomorrow. How about you? How's the 'Callie Torres method' going?"

Callie laughed. "Great actually! She finished this morning while we were going for a walk in the park with the little chica here!" She bounced Sofia and made a face.

"I am so happy these boards are almost here. I feel like I'm the one going through it again!" Arizona laughed and Callie nodded in agreement.

"Same here. Plus, now I can finally take you to dinner." Callie didn't even look at Arizona when she made the statement; she just put it simply as if it was obvious.

"Oh? And where will we be going?" Arizona gave Callie a coy smile.

"You pick. I just want you to be there, the rest doesn't matter." Callie shifted her eyes to catch Arizona's reaction just as her blue eyes widened momentarily and then warmed. She could swim in those blue eyes all day and be perfectly content, but the smile that overtook the blonde's face made Callie drown.

"Well there's this new place down the street. Teddy told me it's fantastic if you want to go there?"

"Sounds perfect! I have tomorrow off if you want to go tomorrow night? I'll get Mark to watch Sofia."

Arizona nodded. "I have to work until 6, so pick me up at 7?"

Callie smiled. "It's a date."

Arizona's pager beeped causing both women to jump. She looked down with a huff. "Damnit… he's coding again." She got up in a rush and kissed Callie quickly on the lips as if she had done it her whole life. "Don't be late!"

Callie smiled and watched Arizona run out of the daycare. Sofia watched her too then turned to her with a smile.

* * *

When Callie returned back to the surgical wing, one of the new interns came running up to her with a cup of coffee. "Dr. Torres!" Callie turned on her heel, almost hitting the coffee out of the intern's hand.

"Whoa! Sorry! Yes?" The intern held the coffee out, offering it to her. "Dr. Robbins asked me to give this to you."

Callie smiled to herself remembering the text from Arizona that had been waiting when she left the OR. She took it from the bouncing intern and smiled weakly. "Tell her I said thanks." The intern nodded, but didn't move. "Uhm, you can go now." The intern still didn't move.

"Dr. Robbins told me to make sure I ordered it the right way and if you didn't like it to go back and get you another one." Callie laughed to herself then took a long, purposeful sip.

"Delicious. Okay, now go away and tell Robbins I said thank you." She lifted the coffee and nodded her head in dismissal as she turned to walk towards the nurse's station to grab her next patient's chart. This woman really was going to be the death of her.


	9. Ch 9: First Date

Chapter 9: First Date

* * *

"Mark! I'm serious! I need help here. Put your stupid –" Callie grabbed Mark's phone. "Phone DOWN and HELP ME." Callie stared red-faced at a gaping Mark.

"Ok, ok. I don't know why you're so stressed, though; she's gonna think you're hot in either one." He waved his hand between the two outfits nonchalantly.

"It's not just about looking hot! It's about looking sophisticated," Callie stood taller and squared her shoulders, "and looking sexy and beautiful and GAH I HATE FIRST DATES!" Callie threw the black dress and the jeans and red top combo both onto the ground before breaking into Spanish and throwing her hands in the air. Mark grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey! CALLIE!" The Latina stopped and stared at him. "WHAT!?"

"STOP YELLING SPANISH AT ME!" Mark shook her out of her rant.

Callie sighed and shrunk over, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "I hate first dates." Callie said almost pathetically. "I thought I was done with this. I thought I never had to do this again."

Mark held her in a strong embrace. "This isn't just any first date, Callie. This is your first date with Arizona." He held her out at arm's length. "Stop thinking of it as your first date… it's freaking you out." Callie let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes. "Just think about Arizona, and I promise you, you'll be fine."

Callie let his words sink in and nodded, gaining strength. "Ok, you're right."

"Of course I am." Mark gave a cocky smile and arched his eyebrow. "I'm Mark Sloan. Now let's figure this whole outfit thing out…"

* * *

Despite being twenty minutes late, Callie was confident the night was going to be perfect. She looked amazing. She knew if Mark only applied himself they would be able to pull something remarkable off together; and they had. He picked out the black dress that fell just above mid thigh. It accentuated Callie's curves, but the neckline didn't dip as low for her to be dripping sexy. She picked out her favorite hoop earrings, a necklace that fell just above the neckline of the dress, and she curled her hair into a wild mess.

What she wasn't expecting when she walked up to Arizona's door was to be outshined completely. Arizona had on a stunning red dress, cut just shorter than Callie's. Her hair was curled, but not in the wild fashion Callie's was. It was more of a sophisticated curl that was in place in just the right way. Arizona laughed nervously when Callie didn't say a word when she opened the door. She just stood there.

"Calliope. Please breathe. You're not breathing." Arizona reached out and took hold of Callie's wrist.

Callie choked on the sudden intake of breath and shook her head, trying to clear her brain from the intoxicating sight in front of her.

Arizona looked at Callie with concern and a furrowed brow. "Are you ok? Calliope?"

Callie looked at Arizona. "You look **incredible**." Arizona laughed and kissed Callie in response. "You look amazing too, Calliope." Arizona took her hand and closed her front door, letting Callie lead her to the car.

Dinner went smoothly, conversation flowing as naturally as it always did between them. Arizona couldn't help but notice all of the eyes that were falling on Callie. At first, she felt nothing but pride knowing that the woman was there with **her**, not anyone else. But as the eyes continued to drift all over her date, she started getting extremely upset. Callie was her date, and no one else should be able to watch her like that. She was the only one who should be able to let her eyes roam freely. To make her point, she let her eyes drift down Callie's body for what had to be the fiftieth time that night. She really was incredibly stunning and also seemed to be completely oblivious to everything in the entire restaurant. Well, not everything. Callie couldn't tear her eyes off of Arizona. She knew she couldn't; she had tried on several occasions. She didn't want to seem too anxious or touchy so early on their first date, but she had been holding herself back the whole night.

During one of Callie's stories, she shot her head back, laughing at herself and finally Arizona couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes shot around to one man in particular who had been watching her all night and she glared at him, daring him to look her way for even a second. Arizona got up and crashed her lips against Callie's. The brunette froze, not expecting to feel the small lips on her own in the middle of dinner. Arizona parted, keeping their faces close, and she smiled with a glance in the ogling man's direction. "Oh, okay, Arizona." Callie said with a smile and kissed her back. Arizona lost her ability to think and immediately the restaurant around them slipped from her conscious. She was suddenly flying through space and into the stars with her woman and she never wanted to come back to Earth.

They parted and Arizona sat down, panting. Callie grabbed her hand then with a snap, summoned the waitress. "CHECK! NOW!"

Their eyes stayed locked until they were getting up and practically running to the car.

* * *

They crashed against the coffee table sending the lamp plummeting to its demise. Callie slammed the front door and laughed, reaching around the blonde in her arms to unzip her dress. Arizona followed suit, letting their carefully constructed outfits fall to the floor. They barely made it to the bedroom before they were completely bare except for Callie's underwear and Arizona's bra. It became quickly apparent the priorities of the two women; Callie's focus on Arizona's growing heat and Arizona's focus on Callie's chest.

They fell onto the bed in a heap of tangled limbs and immediately Callie rolled on top of Arizona. "God, you're wet Arizona…"

The blonde cupped Callie's breasts and squeezed them gently. "Yeah. Yeah I am." She moaned as Callie's thumb found her throbbing clit. "Oh god, Calliope…"

Callie leaned down with a smile and kissed Arizona quickly, moving down to her neck and then her chest. She unhitched Arizona's bra with one hand, the other teasing her girlfriend's center. She flicked one nipple with her tongue and took it in her mouth, smiling when the body under her started squirming.

Arizona reached down to pull Callie's underwear down, and Callie paused to kick them off with a wide smile. Arizona smiled back and cupped Callie's center, slipping a finger swiftly through her folds. "Oooo… looks like I'm not the only one." Callie laughed and leaned down for a kiss.

"You first?" Arizona questioned quickly with a breathy moan.

"You're closer." Callie kissed her quickly. "And I want to hear you scream." She growled in Arizona's ear and nipped at her pulse point on her way down Arizona.

Arizona moaned. She squeaked as Callie took her clit in her mouth, sucking gently at first then harder. She grabbed the head board behind her with one hand and the sheets of the bed with the other. "Don't stop, Calliope. Oh god, don't stop…"

Callie's tongue dipped lower, entering her girlfriend. Arizona's hips bucked at the contact and she moaned loudly; there was definitely going to be screaming; she could tell and the thought caused a wicked grin to form on the Latina's face.

She loved the way Arizona tasted more than she ever thought possible. She wondered briefly if there was anything about Arizona she wasn't going to enjoy. Arizona continued bucking, moaning her name louder and louder. "Calliope! I need you! Please!" She paused, taking the blonde's hips in her strong hands and guided them in a rhythm against her tongue and then started sucking on the throbbing nub pulsating against her nose. She slid two fingers in and curled them, searching at first then hitting the spot she was hoping she'd find.

"OH GOD! YES! CALLIOPE! YES!" Arizona screamed. Callie's fingers thrusted inside of her, roughly commanding her body. Arizona screamed again and her hips shot up wildly. Seeing Arizona so raw and so uncontrolled nearly sent her over the edge without a single touch. She slammed her fingers into her and reached up to tease her chest, all while sucking on Arizona's clit. She curled her fingers one last time and pounded into her girlfriend and suddenly Arizona unfolded. Arizona screamed her name over and over and slammed her eyes shut. She started shaking as a powerful orgasm overtook her body, clenching onto Callie's fingers. Callie paused for a second, then started to slowly pull out and return her fingers, letting Arizona ride out her climax. She rode the climax for longer than Callie thought possible, and both women were absolutely breathless by the time the blonde settled onto the sheets.

Arizona opened her eyes and leaned forward to kiss Callie. "Holy crap."

"Is that like our motto or something?" Callie said with a sly grin.

Arizona laughed and flipped over so she was on top of Callie. "Let's find out." She moaned softly into Callie's ear and bit down softly onto her ear lobe.

"It won't take much." Arizona kissed her jaw. "That was…" Callie swallowed. "Incredibly hot." Arizona chuckled with a growl.

"You're hot." Arizona's hands found Callie's chest and skillfully teased and twisted her nipples to attention. She took one in her mouth and slowly ran her fingers gently on the surface of her skin down the Latina's stomach and towards her warmth. Callie ran her fingers through Arizona's hair, gripping her head on her breast.

Arizona looked up mischievously with a raised eyebrow. Her fingers parted Callie's folds and barely touched the tip of her clit. It caused a shock to go through Callie and her hips bucked, begging for more. Arizona didn't offer the relief she needed right away. "Arizona, please." She ran her finger through Callie's slit quickly, but hovered without entering.

She leaned forward and growled into Callie's ear. "Beg."

_Oh, she didn't_.

Callie moaned. "Arizona, I am so close… please…" She arched her back and pressed her hips towards Arizona. The blonde entered the Latina only slightly, barely pressing a full finger tip into her.

"You are so wet, Calliope… I know you need me." She leaned into the Latina's ear and growled, "Say it."

Arizona's low and sultry tone combined with her complete dominance was only adding to the fire growing inside Callie's gut. "Arizona, please."

"Say it."

"God, Arizona, just fuck me. Please, I'm begging you."

Arizona immediately ran three fingers into the Latina and flicked her clit with her thumb. The sudden entrance almost had Callie in an instantaneous climax, but she stopped herself, willing herself to enjoy the pleasure before immediately surrendering. Arizona kissed her neck then moaned into her ear. "That's my girl."

Callie rocked her hips into Arizona's hand, begging for more friction. Arizona curled her fingers and kissed Callie's jaw. "I'll be right back." Arizona traveled kisses down the bucking body and landed at Callie's center. She pulled her fingers out of the Latina and replaced them with her tongue. Callie never had someone give her so much attention, usually it was all her giving and not much receiving; this was a welcomed change of events.

Callie's legs started to close on Arizona's head, so she gripped her thighs and dug her nails in, pulling them apart. Callie moaned. "Oh, fuck, ARIZONA!" She dragged her nails down Callie's legs but returned her grip when Callie started to close her legs again. She flicked her tongue and found Callie's most sensitive spot. She knew once she found it, Callie would be done for. As if on cue, Callie started screaming her name. She lost the ability to form words and the rest was a moan that made Arizona's stomach turn with excitement.

Callie's back arched and she started to shake. Her hips bucked wildly until her body took over and started to clench down on itself. Arizona slipped in two fingers for Callie to ride out her climax. She tasted Callie and closed her eyes in euphoria. She ran her tongue through Callie again to taste her one more time then kissed the inside of her thigh. Callie started to calm and collapsed onto the bed.

Arizona kissed her other thigh then crawled up to lay beside Callie who was quickly falling asleep from pure exhaustion. She kissed the Latina softly and briefly, but Callie wouldn't let her break the kiss completely. She pulled her in for another kiss, this one heavier and more passionate. "Holy crap." Callie breathed between her gasps for air. Arizona smiled and kissed Callie again quickly. "And there it is."

Arizona turned, and Callie wrapped her arm around her, holding her tightly against her. "I don't want you to leave…" Arizona kissed her hand. "Then I won't leave." She nestled closer into Callie's embrace. "I'll text Mark and tell him I'll pick up Sofia in the morning."

Callie rolled away, groping for her phone. She reached too far and rolled off the bed. Arizona rolled over, laughing. "Calliope!? You ok?" The brunette's head shot up and she rubbed her hip.

"Yeah, just a broken hip is all." They laughed and Callie reached up to kiss Arizona again. She found her phone.

_Yeah, you have Sofi til the morning._ _Enjoy!_

Her phone almost immediately buzzed.

_So I heard. You know these walls are pretty thin, right?_

Callie laughed so hard she had to hold her sides.

_Your own fault for picking such a hot dress. Night!_

Arizona leaned over to see what she was typing just as Mark responded.

_Tell blondie I said you're welcome. Keep it down next time, some people are trying to sleep._

Arizona leaned in and kissed Callie as she threw her phone off the bed and onto the floor. "Is that what other people do at night? Sleep?" Arizona questioned with a laugh.

"Yeah, I have no idea why… when they could be –" Callie leaned in to kiss Arizona, already hungry for more. There was definitely not very much sleeping going on tonight in the Torres residence.

* * *

**AN**: You guys have been way too patient with me for the sexy times. I hope this didn't disappoint :] As always, thanks for the reviews and new follows and favorites! You guys are awesome :]


	10. Ch 10: The Superstar and The God

**AN:** Sorry for the long delay! This is a longer chapter, so hopefully that makes up for it.

Remember to leave comments/reviews so I can gauge how you all like the pace and set up of the story. It's going to take a turn more towards my AU in the next few chapters; I have some really cool ideas that will hopefully come to fruition in the next few weeks.

Anyways, here's Chapter 10: The Superstar and The God

* * *

The fact that Callie and Arizona were both surgeons complicated things; the fact that one of them had a baby complicated things even more. Their schedules hardly ever fit to allow for more dates, but when they did, the women took full advantage. It had been several weeks, and they had only managed 3 more official dates, but the sex was growing hotter, and the number of on-call room visits were increasing exponentially. They allowed each other one request per week, but that particular rule was more like a guideline than anything else.

They had kept their relationship under the gossip radar rather effectively despite their frequent on-call visits. Callie attributed the lack of gossip to the known fact that she was recently divorced and had a child, and therefore, by most standards, considered overwhelmingly straight. Thus, inhibiting most talk of her being in a lesbian relationship. It was proving extraordinarily convenient for letting their relationship grow at its own rate.

Arizona was especially excited for the dinner the women were having this evening. Callie had been planning it for nearly a week, and had even asked off of work so that they could go. It was the first time in Callie's entire history at SGMW that she had asked off of work. Arizona didn't know the occasion, but she was excited to see why Callie had made such a big deal about the whole evening. Callie picked up Arizona wearing the same dress she had worn the very first night they went to dinner; she would never forget that dress.

They went to a new restaurant that had just opened in town, and Callie had the entire back corner reserved for them, a perfect little table in the very middle. The atmosphere combined with the pre-planned menu was the epitome of romantic. They talked through the whole dinner, never able to keep their eyes from coming unlocked. In between courses, Callie would find Arizona's hand and hold it, gently rubbing her thumb across the back of her hand just the way she loved it. The evening was perfect.

They got back to Arizona's apartment just before 9, so she invited Callie in, knowing that she had until about 10:30 to pick up Sofia from Mark's… she made a mental note to thank Mark; he really was a great friend. She poured a glass of wine for each of them, and they both wandered to her couch to sit down. She found herself in her favorite position, laying into Callie's embrace. She smiled and nested her head onto Callie's shoulder. "Thank you so much, Calliope for such an amazing dinner. That was really something else…"

Callie smiled and kissed her forehead. "Of course. Thank you for being my date." Arizona smiled. "And thank you for being my date for the last month."

Arizona looked up at Callie. "Has it really been a whole month?"

Callie nodded. "As of this evening, we have been dating for an entire month. Can you believe it?"

Arizona thought of the past month and all she could conjure were amazing, amazing memories she knew she would never forget. All of the time she spent with Callie, whether it was something big like tonight, or something small like lunch last Tuesday when they'd had a fight over the last serving of chocolate pudding, they were all among the best and favorite moments of her life. "That month just went by so fast is all… I feel like just yesterday, we were talking for the first time when you came in, terrified for Sofi."

Callie wrapped Arizona tighter into her arms and agreed.

"But I have to say. This past month that I've spent with you has been the best in my life."

Callie kissed her softly, but sweetly. "I agree. I think back and wonder what I ever did without you."

Arizona paused and thought about her life without Callie and had to calm herself down before she panicked. Her own reaction to the thought of a life without Callie suddenly terrified her. They hadn't even discussed being an official couple yet, and she was already starting to feel as if she couldn't breathe without Callie to help her. She turned to look at Callie. "Am I your girlfriend? I feel like your girlfriend. But we've never talked about it, but I need to know. Because I feel like your girlfriend. Like, I **really** do. So I need…" she took a deep breath. "I need to know if I'm your girlfriend."

Callie's eyebrows rose and her mouth hung agape for the half a second it took for her to process Arizona's words. She hadn't even considered their relationship to be anything but that, a relationship. She smiled before answering her confidently. "Yes. Yes, of course, Arizona, you're my girlfriend."

Arizona let the words sink in, and the tension dropped from her shoulders. She smiled and got up from the couch, gathering the wine glasses on the way.

"Hey! I wasn't done with that!" Callie got up to follow Arizona into the kitchen.

"Well, now you are!" Arizona went to her room and started opening her drawers. Callie followed her in and watched as Arizona threw some clothes into a bag.

"What… what are you doing?" Callie continued to watch in confusion as more and more clothes were thrown into the blonde's duffle bag.

"I'm going home with my girlfriend. She has a daughter who needs to be in her own bed, and I don't want to leave her side yet, so I'm going home with her." She zipped the bag closed and turned to Callie who was wearing a dumb smile. "Ready to go?"

Callie nodded and reached her hand out for Arizona to take.

* * *

The next morning, both women's pagers woke the slumbering couple. Arizona reached for the beeping menace where she normally kept it, and as she reached to grab it, she quickly realized what she was swatting was not at all her beautiful mahogany nightstand, but instead her absolutely stunning girlfriend's face. "OW! ARIZONA!"

The blonde's eyes flew open and she sat straight up, immediately attending to the other woman. "Calliope! I am so sorry! Are you okay?" Callie sat up holding her nose then shouted a series of grunts that sounded remotely like a request for a tissue. She tried to get off the bed gracefully, but her leg was tangled around the bed sheet, causing her to fall flat on her face in an attempt to run to the bathroom. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed some toilet paper for Callie. " I am so so so sorry… I thought…" She remembered the beeping pagers and ran to find them on Callie's dresser. She looked at the page then to the pathetic looking sight in front of her. Callie was sitting on the bed with now bloodied toilet paper wadded on her face. She grimaced and put the pagers back down. "Calliope, I am **so** sorry. Are you okay?"

Callie shrugged, wanting to hold it against Arizona as long as possible, but the look Arizona mustered in response was one she was sure only puppies should be able to produce. Callie smiled. "I'll be fine. You just got my nose pretty good. What's up?" She pointed towards the pagers.

"There was an accident, we've both been paged. Are you going to be alright? Want me to look at your nose?" Arizona sat back on the bed, reaching for Callie's face and gently placing a hand on her cheek.

"I believe I'm the ortho surgeon in the room. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. Go ahead and get dressed, I'll be right behind you." Arizona leaned in and kissed Callie on the cheek then jumped up to get showered and dressed.

* * *

After dropping Sofia off at daycare, Callie joined Arizona in the pit. A multiple car accident had come in with 5 children between all the cars and 17 broken bones total. There hadn't been any deaths, and all the surgeons and doctors at Seattle Grace Mercy West were determined to keep it that way. It was all hands on deck and it was gearing up to be a busy day. One of the children had 3 fractures, one of which required surgery, and Callie was beyond excited to be scrubbing in with Arizona. She loved the way that she took command of an OR. It was a tricky dance that only some surgeons ever fully mastered, and Arizona could write the book on it.

She was walking up to scrub in when the blonde on her mind manifested, and with coffee. She smiled and took the cup with a quick kiss in gratitude.

"How's your nose?" Arizona's brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed, studying the Latina's face. "It looks just a bit swollen. Did you get some ice on it?"

Callie rolled her eyes and kissed Arizona's cheek again quickly. "I'll be** fine**. Really. If there's anything I know, it's bones, and mine are fine. Yeah, I'll have a swollen face for a few days, but you've got one hell of a right hook, so I'm just glad it isn't broken." Arizona blushed a deep crimson and Callie chuckled. "Now come on, Babe, we've got a tiny human to attend to."

The surgery went perfectly and without a hitch. The two surgeons were so in sync they barely spoke a word for the entire four hours they were in the OR. They kept a steady pace and before they had even blinked, they were closing. They continued their communal silence in the scrub room post-op and only broke their silence when the electricity between the two nearly overwhelmed them at the sinks. "Arizona." Arizona looked over to find the Latina already staring into her eyes. Arizona pressed herself firmly against Callie, stealing a strong and passionate kiss. "God, I wish I could take you right here." Callie growled in Arizona's ear, her breath hot on her fair skinned neck. Arizona let out a small moan and leaned into Callie, letting her lips skim across her pulse point. The door opened and Dr. Bailey walked in with a grunt announcing her presence. "Dr. Torres, you're needed in Trauma room 3; Robbins, you've got three more peds cases waiting for your consult." Just as officially as she entered, she exited the scrub room, no doubt on her way to find lazy interns for the latest bowel obstructions.

The two separated and Callie looked like she was ready to kick the scrub room's sink. Arizona reached out and grabbed Callie's arm. "Hey, it's ok. Calm down." Arizona chuckled and Callie looked into her eyes.

"I know…" Callie's voice trailed off and she looked towards the ceiling with a huff.

"You…" Arizona drew Callie in by the edge of her scrubs. "Are incredible. And we'll be done here in a few hours and then…" Arizona closed her arms around the Latina. "Then, we'll have the whole night to celebrate just how awesome you are."

Callie smiled. "You mean how awesome **we** are."

Arizona smiled back. "Right. Now go save lives!" Arizona kissed Callie quickly, then turned the protesting woman and swatted her butt, sending her off to face the world of broken bones.

* * *

Callie leaned against the nurse's station, staring at the clock on the wall. She didn't even hear Mark walk up until he was standing in front of her going on and on about something involving Lexie. She didn't hear much, but the story was always the same with those two. "Just tell her you love her already. Oh, and Arizona wanted me to make sure to tell you she said thanks for watching Sofia last night." Mark paused and stared at Callie in wonderment, then grabbed her arm and led her to the nearest open room.

"What the hell, Torres? I'm serious. I have a problem here…" Mark stared at Callie, who was glancing around his shoulder to try to find the clock again. "TORRES!"

Callie jumped. "WHAT?!" Mark rose an eyebrow and stared defiantly. "Fine! Ok. I have about three and a half minutes. Go." Mark opened his mouth to talk when Callie's pager went off. She simultaneously put one hand up to block Mark's mouth while checking her pager with the other. "Sorry, Mark! Gotta go!" Mark watched the Latina run past him and he couldn't help but feel replaced knowing that it had taken only one woman to change his normally overwhelmingly supportive friend into someone so cold. Maybe she was right, though. Maybe he should just tell Lexie he loved her. He pondered the thought as he saw the blonde peds surgeon he was just thinking of roll past the door headed very quickly in the opposite direction of her surgical wing and in the same direction as his best friend. He shook his head, and with a smirk, was back to his world of growing skin like God.

* * *

The door was slammed shut just as quickly as it had been flung open as the blonde joined Callie in the on-call room. She was already tearing off her clothes before she remembered to set the lock. Strong tan hands were on her ivory skin before she could finish pulling her scrubs top over her head. Callie pushed her against the door, pressing her full lips onto Arizona's begging for more. Arizona parted her lips slightly and moaned when her tongue was met with the Latina's. That woman's tongue could make her squirm wherever it touched, but the dance she had perfected with Arizona's was enough to bring the blonde to her knees. She felt a growl rumble into her mouth and her resolve crushed. She raked her nails across Callie's stomach before finding an already bare chest. She smiled into the next kiss and gave a small chuckle as she let the Latina's full chest fill her palms. She massaged them until Callie's moans broke their kiss. She let her head fall onto Arizona's shoulder and kissed her neck in between her breathy pants. Arizona looked up to the ceiling, baring her whole neck to Callie and rocked her hips into the other woman.

"You were amazing today." Callie licked at Arizona's pulse point then bit down softly.

Arizona moaned loudly and withdrew her hands from Callie's chest to let her fingers run through her raven hair. "You're a superstar, Calliope." Her breath hitched when Callie reached an especially sensitive part of her neck. "…A superstar with a scalpel."

Callie smiled against Arizona's neck. "Being a superstar is nothing…" Callie kissed Arizona's jaw line. "…when you're standing next to a God." Callie kissed Arizona and reached down, taking Arizona's thighs in her strong embrace and lifted Arizona, letting her wrap her legs around her waist. She carried the blonde back towards the bed and laid her down gently, never breaking their kiss. Arizona smiled against Callie's lips and moaned.

Callie smiled back and broke the kiss to look into Arizona's eyes. She pulled down Arizona's pants and threw them off the bed, followed by every other piece of clothing either of them had left on. Arizona lifted her hips to grind against Callie's and raked her nails down her back, eliciting a deep growl from the Latina. She added the growl to the growing list of things she would ache to hear, and the clawing to the list of things that would make it happen. She smiled and added more pressure, making Callie grind her hips roughly into Arizona and drop her head to the bed next to her.

Spanish flowed from Callie's lips in a low, sultry, gruff that had Arizona nearly dripping. She wrapped one leg around Callie's, and with a wrestling move learned from her brother, flipped them so that she was straddling the now squirming woman. She reached down and felt the growing warmth of the other woman before reaching down to hold Callie's hand.

She kissed Callie again; it felt like years since they had last kissed, even though it had been only seconds. She already missed the feeling of the other woman's lips against her own. Callie moved her lips in a perfect rhythm before letting their tongues dance again, bringing a deep moan from Arizona. She smiled into the kiss and added the move to her list of ways to make Arizona give that incredibly, incredibly sexy moan. She felt her hand being guided down towards their grinding hips, immediately knowing what the blonde was suggesting. She gave Arizona's hand a squeeze before letting go and finding the blonde's warmth. She knew that she would be ready, but she was still surprised at how ready she found the other woman. Her other hand found Arizona's chest and flicked one nipple. Arizona moaned loudly in response and rocked her hips against Callie's palm.

Arizona left one hand flat on Callie's stomach while the other slipped between her folds. She immediately bucked into the movement and moaned. They both slipped two, and then three fingers into each other, bringing a chorus of moans to the room. They broke their kiss and focused on riding and pleasing each other. They stared into each other's eyes until Callie felt her body start to tense. She shut her eyes in anticipation.

"Calliope." Callie's eyes opened at the sound of Arizona's voice; it was short and breathy, but commanding. She found blue eyes and locked onto them as her body started to shake. Arizona felt Callie's climax approaching, and her own body reacted in unison. As soon as her fingers felt the pulling and coaxing of Callie's body, her own muscles tightened around Callie's fingers. They both froze as their bodies took over. Their muscles pulsed and their backs curled. Their legs intertwined, and they fell into each other.

Callie let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding and watched as Arizona continued to writhe. She moved her fingers in and out of the woman, curling her fingers to find the spot she knew the woman needed. Just as the first climax faded, the blonde's back arched again as a second wave overcame her. Her muscles tensed again, and Arizona's eyes slammed shut. Callie could only watch in awe as the woman rode her fingers through her second climax.

Arizona crashed into Callie's embrace, breathing so heavy she was sure she was about to pass out. The strong arms wrapped around her kept her grounded as her mind and body flew around the universe. She opened her eyes after catching her breath and found Callie's swollen lips.

She kissed them softly and let her head fall onto Callie's chest. "Calliope, you are the God."

Callie smiled and pulled the sheets of the bed over them. "Whatever you say, Babe." She kissed the top of Arizona's head, taking in the scent of her own shampoo lingering on the soft curls. She felt it in every part of her body; her bones ached in it, her muscles burned in it, and every thought sent her blood racing through her veins; she was finally happy.


	11. Ch 11: The Torres Family

Chapter 11: The Torres Family

* * *

"Pass the shampoo?" Arizona reached around and looked for the bottle of kiwi-scented shampoo and handed it to Callie, pressing herself against her girlfriend's tan back and rotating them so she could rinse out her hair. Callie smiled to herself, thinking about how much she loved her new morning routine. Arizona had essentially moved in at this point, although there had been no formal communication of the event. She reached around Arizona's waist and pulled her tight against her. Arizona chuckled quietly before turning to face Callie. She grabbed her hand and held it above their heads, pressing Callie against the opaque wall. "Oh, good morning beautiful", Callie jokingly whispered before taking Arizona's lips against her own. Arizona laughed into their kiss and made a comment about a steamy shower when Sofia's cries pierced through the bathroom via the baby monitor on the counter.

"Damn it." Callie let her head fall back against the wall in frustration.

Arizona kissed Callie again quickly. "Don't worry, hon, I'll go get her. I'm done anyways." Callie's eyes shot open.

"Oh, Arizona, you don't have to do that."

Arizona smiled as she opened the shower door and took a step out. "I'll have her dressed and ready to go in fifteen minutes. We'll just have to stop and get coffee on the way."

Callie smiled and leaned out of the shower and grabbed the blonde's waist to pull her into a quick kiss. "You're amazing. Thank you."

* * *

Traffic stopped the surgeons from being able to stop for coffee, so the first thing on their agenda once they dropped off Sofia at daycare was to find the coffee cart. They usually paid for their own, but Callie stepped in and ordered both of their coffees before Arizona had a chance to order. She looked over at Callie with her brows furrowed. "Calliope, you don't have to buy mine. I can get it." Callie just smiled in return. "No, I don't mind. Thank you for this morning. I don't remember the last time I actually had time to really enjoy a shower on a work day." Arizona blushed slightly and smiled as she put her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. Callie had noticed it was something the blonde did whenever she was feeling flattered or shy, and she absolutely loved how adorable it was.

"Sorry, Dr. Torres, it says the card is being declined." The barista handed Callie her card back.

Callie looked up at the barista with her mouth slightly agape. "Wait. What? Try again." The barista rolled her eyes, but ran the card through the reader a third time. The woman shook her head and handed it back. "I'm sorry, but it's still being declined. Do you have another card?" Arizona reached her hand out, handing her card to the barista before Callie had any time to get anymore flustered.

Callie turned as soon as she had her coffee in her hand and stormed away, marching towards the ortho wing. Arizona smiled kindly at the barista and thanked her before running to catch up with her. "Calliope!" Callie stopped abruptly, then looked around, deciding on the conference room to finally explode. Arizona was prepared this time, though, and knew the Latina fury she was about to face.

Before she had a chance to say anything, Callie had her phone in her hand and was dialing a number. Arizona, realizing that the fury was not aimed towards her for stepping in and paying for the coffee, decided it was best to just sit and wait. The number she was trying to reach didn't answer apparently, because Callie started pacing and tried a different number. She hadn't reached the point of screaming Spanish yet, so Arizona thought maybe there was a chance for this to not end terribly. Again, there was no answer. Callie started mumbling to herself, but tried a third number. Finally, someone answered, but Arizona immediately felt bad for the person on the other side. "**ARIA**!" Callie was screaming into the phone, but as soon as she stopped, Arizona could hear the woman on the other side of the phone was also yelling in Spanish, and she surmised it had to be a family member. Callie stopped pacing and froze. She lowered her voice, but kept talking in Spanish. _Damn, I really should have paid attention in high school…_ Arizona sipped her coffee and waited for some sort of emotion to come through. Callie started pleading before her voice cracked and she robotically moved her phone from her ear and stared. She collapsed into a chair and put her coffee and phone onto the table before burying her face in her hands.

Before a single sob escaped her lips, Arizona was there, holding her. She had no idea what just happened but she didn't care. She shushed Callie's cries and held her to her chest, rocking her gently and smoothing her hair. It was all she could do until she knew what had happened, and it was all that Callie needed. She sunk into Arizona's arms and let her comfort her for what seemed like the millionth time. Her heart was shattered; something she didn't think was even possible after all the she had gone through. But the only constant love in her life had been her family and now she didn't have them either. Somehow, though, one piece of her heart stayed intact; the part that Arizona was still clinging to and wouldn't let go. She let Arizona hold on to that piece and watched the rest vaporize into oblivion.

Mark, Teddy, Bailey, and even the chief had all poked their heads in to check on her, but Arizona had shooed them away. Mark came back with water, and tried to stay but Callie couldn't even look at him. Arizona never left her side though; she comforted her and then just sat with her. Finally the tears stopped and she was able to form words.

"My, uhm…" Callie stopped, trying to find the words to explain. Arizona didn't interrupt her, she just sat and waited. "My family cut me off." She didn't look up from her coffee. She expected Arizona to say something, but instead she just sat waiting for more. "They heard about the divorce from George. He called to talk about the estate I guess, but I don't really know." Callie ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. "Anyways, they took all of my money from my accounts, and cut me off. My…" her voice caught and she met Arizona's eyes, looking for strength. She found it instantly when she saw nothing but affection emanating from her girlfriend. "My parents won't talk to me, but my sister, Aria, told me they cut me off and to not call anymore. I … I don't have anything left."

Arizona reached across the gap between them and drew Callie into a strong embrace. "That's not true, Calliope. You have me, and I'll make sure you have everything you and Sofia need." Callie sank into Arizona's arms again briefly then pulled away.

"I can't ask you to do that, Arizona. I have a job, a very high paying one in fact. I can take care of myself and Sofia." Her eyes shifted to the floor. It was true. Eventually, she could, but for the next few months, she had no idea how. She had literally no money, rent was due in a week, but she didn't get paid for another two weeks. Sofia was out of diapers too, and she needed to make sure she had something to eat after this batch of baby food was finished.

Arizona lifted her chin so their eyes met. "I know you can. You're awesome." Callie laughed nervously and the tension in the air broke. "But that doesn't mean you have to. I'm in this. I'm a part of your life now, and whatever you can't do, I do. That's how this works." Callie nodded, letting her continue. "So, right now, you need time to build up your money again. You can do it, I know you can. But let me help you." Arizona paused. "Move in with me." Callie's mouth dropped. "Or I can move in with you. That'd probably work better I guess considering Sofia has her room and all of her things and all that… but I basically already live there anyways and it's silly for us to be paying two rents. Let me handle the bills until you get back on your feet." Arizona hesitated, not sure if she should have suggested something like that so suddenly, but confident in everything she had said. Callie's face slowly erupted into a beautiful smile. Arizona smiled in return then brushed a strand of raven hair aside and tucked it behind her ear. "There's that gorgeous smile."

Callie laughed and leaned in, meeting Arizona's lips fervently. They met in a world all their own, one they'd constructed over the last few months. One only they knew how to navigate, where their breathing matched and their hearts beat in unison. When they finally broke from each other, Callie looked into Arizona's eyes and smiled. She had no idea how this had all happened… how she had come to be with someone so incredible. She didn't feel in the least deserving of having someone like Arizona care about her so much. As soon as she saw Arizona's smile, all of her worries and cares disappeared, sending the bits of crushed heart away in the breeze. Her heart fluttered and her stomach turned at the shifting of the feeling in the room and with every ounce of strength left in the tiny piece of her heart that Arizona had saved from destruction, whispered, "I love you."

Tears brimmed in Arizona's eyes as she watched the full beauty of the woman in her arms unfold. She was bare, naked, and broken, and yet unbelievably strong. She had watched her whole world crumble around her and yet she found the strength to be the first one to make the plunge into having the last piece destroyed. But she wouldn't let that happen; she never would. She would hold onto that piece and build a new world around it, because that was the only world she wanted to live in anymore. The woman she had admired from afar for so long and had only just begun to truly know and understand was in love with her. The words made her heart stop, and yet race at the same time. She had never felt so incredibly happy in her entire life. A tear fell down her cheek and she brushed it away with a nervous laugh. She sucked in a huge breath and reached to hold Callie's face in her hands. "I love you too."


	12. Ch 12: The Move

**AN**: As always, I really appreciate every single one of my readers, so thank you for sticking in there and following the story! Reviews really help me to see if you guys are liking where it's going and the pace, etc. so feel free to leave criticism or ideas. Or compliments on my sexy bod. You know the drill ;)

Chapter 12: The Move

* * *

"Mark! I'm crashing on your couch! Don't come out naked or anything. No one wants to see that." Callie shut Mark's door and walked over to flop down onto his couch. He came out of his room shirtless while buttoning a pair of pants he had just thrown on. "Hey, Torres. How's the moving going?" He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

Callie groaned and threw her arm over her eyes. "I hate it. I hate everything." Mark laughed and flopped down next to her on the couch. She lifted her legs to make room and laid her feet over his lap. He started rubbing them and she immediately moaned in delight. "Oh, god, Mark. Never stop." He laughed and threw her feet off of his lap, making her sit up with a groan.

"Oh, it can't be that bad. It looks like blondie is doing most of the work anyways." Callie stared at him disapprovingly. "Or, maybe you're just taking a break." He threw his hands up in surrender. Callie punched him and stood to get a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I'm so tired, Mark. I don't want to see another box in my life."

"Calliope!?" Arizona's voice rang from the hallway. Callie immediately ran behind the couch and ducked. Mark turned to watch her.

"Torres! What the hell are you doing?" Callie shushed him just as a knock interrupted him.

Arizona pushed the door open and with a hand over her eyes yelled, "MARK, IF YOU'RE NAKED PUT CLOTHES ON."

"Why the hell does everyone think I run around naked all day?" Mark asked accusingly. Arizona peeked through her fingers and sighed when she saw that he had pants on.

"Have you seen Callie? I can't find her and we're almost done here, but Sofia just woke up and I really need some help."

Mark shifted his weight and rocked between his feet while nudging towards the couch with his head. "No, I haven't seen her… maybe you should give her a call?"

Arizona looked past his shoulder towards the couch. "I tried that. Mark, what are you doing?" Mark jerked his head in the direction of the couch and grunted. "Mark, I really don't have time for this." Sofia's cry rang through the apartment. "Crap. Just. If you see her, tell her I said to come back and stop hiding."

Callie leaped from behind the couch laughing as Mark closed the door. She did a little victory dance around a very disapproving Mark before sauntering into the kitchen. "You should get back there."

She took a swig from a water bottle and cocked her hip. "Oh, I know. There's just SO MANY BOXES."

Mark walked up behind her and pushed her out the door. "Go, Torres. And don't come back until you're done!"

* * *

Callie carried the last of the boxes from the U-Haul up to their apartment and set them down with a gruff. "Babe? Hey, babe! Where do you want these?" Arizona poked her head from Sofia's nursery where she was changing a particularly offensive diaper.

"FINALLY! CALLIOPE TORRES WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Callie shrunk from Arizona's glare of anger and gave a sheepish grin. "Don't give me that look! Where were you?! I moved almost 10 boxes before I realized no one was watching Sofia and when I go to find you, you're gone! You better have a good excuse."

Callie's expression turned mischievous as she walked up to Arizona. "I love you…" Arizona turned away with a huff. "I love you, I love you, I love you…" Callie wrapped her arms around Arizona from behind and kissed her neck.

She tried to resist, but the ortho surgeon's arms were too strong to wring herself out of the hold. Finally she had to laugh and turned to face Callie. "I love you too." She kissed her quickly before turning back around to finish re-dressing Sofia. "Please don't leave me again though." Callie squeezed her and kissed her neck just under ear. "I promise I'll never leave you." Arizona paused then turned her head to give Callie a quick kiss. "Good. Now go put those boxes in our bedroom?"

Callie's face erupted into a huge smile and she sauntered into the living room where she had dumped the boxes. "I like the sound of that." Arizona smiled and picked up Sofia, carrying her on her hip towards the kitchen. "I can think of other things you might like to hear."

Callie dropped the boxes and glanced at a very cool and collected looking Arizona with a raised eyebrow. "Oh?"

Arizona nodded. "Mhmm. They might have to wait though. Baby girl here should probably get some dinner first."

* * *

Callie had finally coaxed Sofia into a deep slumber and after a long day of moving, she wasn't far behind her daughter. She felt bad for abandoning her girlfriend during Sofia's fit when she woke up, so she had spent the rest of the evening in an unpacking frenzy. All of the boxes were unloaded, and everything in the bedroom was organized and put away. There were a few random objects left in the spare room that they weren't sure what to do with yet, but the rest of the apartment was done and Arizona was officially moved in. She leaned back, cracking her back as she stumbled into their bedroom, hoping to find a bed warmed by her beautiful girlfriend waiting for her. Instead the room was empty. "Arizona? Babe? Where are you?"

"In here!" Callie walked towards the bathroom to find her sexy blonde waiting in a gloriously warm bubble bath.

She immediately tore her clothes off and crawled in, settling against her chest. She closed her eyes as skilled hands massaged her shoulders, then her arms, and then her hands. "Mm… Arizona. That feels incredible." She growled through the last part and she felt Arizona shift underneath her.

"It's something I picked up a few years ago after my first 18 hour surgery." She kissed the top of Callie's head as she moved her hands to rest across her stomach, holding her in place. "Thank you for helping me move in today… even though you went to hide at Mark's."

Callie chuckled, making the water splash over the edge. "Yeah. Sorry about that... I needed a break. But you're welcome." She picked up Arizona's hands and kissed them. "I love you."

Arizona shifted to sit up a bit taller and leaned over Callie's shoulder. "I love you too." She nibbled softly on Callie's ear. "And I can't wait to get you in our bed and show you how much I mean that." Callie let go of Arizona's hands and grabbed a hold of the tub.

"Who says we have to wait until we get into bed?" Callie turned to take Arizona's lips against her own and moaned into the kiss as Arizona's hands found her chest. Her thin fingers twisted her nipples and tugged gently and suddenly a new warmth found its way to her core. Arizona's tongue entered her mouth and their dance began. She couldn't help but moan as one of Arizona's hands slipped farther down and grazed the tip of her clit. She rocked into the touch and water splashed out of the tub. Arizona broke from the kiss to watch the water dump from the tub and locked eyes with Callie. "Bed. Now."

Callie smiled and laughed as she jumped out of the tub, the cold of the air rushing against her skin. She helped Arizona out of the tub and pulled her into her embrace. They staggered together into the bedroom, holding each other and never breaking their kiss. They landed on the bed with a thud and they both laughed as they rolled across, each trying to gain the upper hand. Arizona finally won and grinned down at Callie with a smirk. "Pinned ya." Callie shook her head at the Lion King reference and laughed but suddenly Arizona's lips were latched onto her chest and she couldn't think to do anything but writhe into the bed sheets.

Arizona reached down and immediately entered Callie. The Latina gasped and muttered something in Spanish before shooting her hips up into the touch. Arizona smiled and moved to the other full breast, flicking the nipple with her tongue. She plunged her fingers deeper into Callie and curled them, finding the spot she knew her girlfriend loved the most. Callie moaned her name and threw her head back. "Harder…. Please, Arizona." She pressed harder and deeper into Callie and quickened her pace. She could feel Callie's release closing in and she knew exactly how to send her over the edge.

Arizona closed her lips around Callie's clit and sucked while flicking it gently with her tongue. She worked her fingers inside her girlfriend, pumping them in and out in a frenzy. Callie's hips rose off the bed and her back arched. Her toes curled and suddenly her whole body started shaking. Arizona paused as she felt a rush of warm liquid spill from the Latina and the walls around her fingers pull and coax them deeper inside. She slowly moved her fingers in and out, letting Callie ride out her orgasm before she collapsed onto the bed panting. Arizona sat back and watched Callie's chest rise and fall. Brown eyes met hers and she smiled. "God, you're beautiful, Calliope." Callie smiled and reached forward pulling Arizona down on top of her with a kiss. She rolled them so that Arizona was on her back and Callie straddled her hips. She grabbed both of Arizona's hands and held them above her head as her kiss shifted to a more demanding and forceful tone. One hand held her hands above her head and the other palmed Arizona's chest. She started rocking her body against Arizona's and moaning into her mouth. Arizona couldn't even process the shift of attitude from a completely submissive Callie to such a demanding and dominant lover but her body was responding without hesitation.

Her hips met Callie's in rhythm and grinded against her center. The grip tightened on her wrists as the other hand spread her dripping folds. Callie pressed two fingers into Arizona but then added a third when she felt how ready she was. Callie broke the kiss and leaned her head over on Arizona's shoulder, biting at her neck. "I want you to scream my name." Arizona moaned and rocked her hips into Callie's hand. "Scream it." She bit her pulse point then released her hold on her hands. Callie took Arizona's clit in her mouth and bit down tentatively. Arizona shot her head back "Oh, fuck, Callie…" Callie smiled and sucked on it gently then shifted so that she was on her knees. She grabbed Arizona's hips and held them at her mouth, flinging her thin legs over her shoulder. She darted her tongue into Arizona who responded with even more obscenities. She dropped her suddenly onto the bed and plunged her fingers deeply and suddenly into Arizona then curled them, hitting the spot she hoped she would. Arizona screamed her name and Callie's stomach tightened. She pounded her hand into Arizona and watched her unfold.

Her climax hit so intensely she thought that she might pass out. Her vision blacked and her ears started ringing. She was screaming Callie's name but that was all she could process beyond the feeling of complete euphoria as endorphins raced through her body. Her muscles tightened around Callie's fingers and she moaned in delight when she felt them move slowly, riding her climax to completion. She collapsed onto the bed, but forgot how to breathe. Callie's lips met hers and reminded her how. Her lungs finally filled and her vision blurred back into focus. "I love you so much, Calliope." Callie smiled and curled up into the sheets, pulling the blonde against her. "I love you too, Arizona."


	13. Ch 13: Meet the Parents

**AN**: Sorry for the short update, but I only had two hours today to write, but I really wanted to get something up for you guys. Thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites. This is now officially my top story in every respect :D I can't believe how much support I've gotten from everyone.

Here's Chapter 13: Meet the Parents

* * *

The next morning, Callie laid in bed, not wanting to move an inch. Arizona's arm was thrown across her stomach and the light had just started peaking in through the window, making her fair skin glow like an angel's. The sheets were thrown askew and the blonde's perfectly curved ass was taking almost all of Callie's attention away from her morning duties. She had never wanted time to completely stop so much in her entire life. She tried making the world pause by holding her breath, focusing on every small detail of Arizona's sleeping form when a chime from Arizona's iPad startled her out of her daydream gone reality.

She instantly regretted jumping when every muscle in her body protested the sudden movement. Her groan woke Arizona from her sleep and she joined Callie's groans as she attempted to push herself up into a sitting position. "Wha—" Arizona rubbed her eyes and looked around, looking for an explanation. "Was that our pagers?"

Callie collapsed back onto the bed and pointed in the direction of the dresser. "Something over there is being obnoxious and I can't move." She threw her arm over her eyes in exasperation.

Arizona leaned down and kissed Callie quickly. "Good morning, gorgeous."

Callie moved her arm and opened one eye. A smile crept across her face. "Good morning, beautiful", she answered in her still-half-a-sleep voice.

Arizona moved off of the bed tentatively, groaning with each movement of her tired and sore muscles. The iPad chimed again just as she got to the dresser to answer it. "Oh, it's my parents!"

"BABE! CLOTHES!" Callie shot up, reaching for her girlfriend in a blind attempt to stop her parents from seeing more of their daughter than they had seen in the last few decades.

Arizona slammed the iPad down on its face and turned to Callie with a spin. She mouthed, "CRAP! SHIRT!" to Callie who immediately jumped up, forgetting her tired muscles with the surge of adrenaline pumping through her body.

"Hello? Arizona?" A sweet yet husky woman's voice rang through the bedroom. "Honey?"

"I don't think she's there. Did you do it right? You gotta hit this button…" A man's voice joined the woman's with a commanding tone.

Arizona pulled on the undershirt that Callie threw at her and smoothed her hair, looking to Callie for a thumbs up before picking the iPad back up. "Hey Mom! Hey Dad! Sorry about that!"

"Oh! There she is!" Her mother answered, pulling her father back into the camera frame. "There's my little girl!" His face lit with a brilliant smile; the same smile that was passed down to his bouncing peds surgeon daughter.

Arizona motioned to Callie to get a shirt on too and was met with vehement objection. Callie shook her head violently, but got up and put a shirt on from the floor. She was pretty sure it was actually Arizona's shirt, but she didn't exactly care. She was not ready to meet the parents… not at all. While George's family had welcomed her with open arms, they were almost obligated to considering she didn't even meet them as George's significant other until after their spontaneous Vegas wedding.

Arizona's mother broke their silent fight. "Honey? Who are you talking to?"

Arizona's eyes shot back down to the iPad and a nervous smile erupted across her face. "Oh, just uhm…" She looked back up at Callie and motioned for her to come over.

Callie didn't even know how she was going to be introduced… a friend who happened to spend the night? Did her parents even know she was gay? They hadn't talked about this; this wasn't supposed to be happening.

"Ooo! HONEY! Do you have a girlfriend!?" Her mother's voice squeaked through the speakers, making Arizona flinch. _Well, at least they know she's gay_, Callie thought. "Why haven't you told us about her!? YOU TELL HER TO COME OVER HERE AND SAY HI!" Arizona winced and looked over to Callie who had shrunk into the corner of the bed and was frozen in place with her eyes wide open and her jaw clenched tight. She had never seen her look so incredibly terrified.

"Now, Barb, calm down. If she doesn't want to meet the folks yet, that's fine. You just mind your own business." Callie liked this man. She decided he was her favorite.

Arizona laughed and looked over to Callie with a giggle. "No, she's just scared." She motioned to Callie but when she didn't move, she started walking over to her.

"Scared? Scared of what?" The Colonel kept talking, but Arizona looked into Callie's eyes and smiled confidently. Callie paused with her heart still racing, but let Arizona's confidence bleed into her own psyche. She reached her hand out, needing to feel Arizona with her before she met the two most important people to their relationship. Parents can make or break something, and she knew their approval would mean the world to Arizona. She needed to make a good impression to make Arizona proud. She felt Arizona's strength and gave her a nod with a curt smile, signaling she was ready. Arizona smiled back and sat down next to her, moving the camera so they were both in frame.

"Mom, Dad, this is Callie. Well, Dr. Callie Torres, to be exact. Calliope, these are my parents…" Her mother cut her off, moving to introduce herself. "Hello, Callie! I'm Barbara, and this is…"

Her father stepped in staring straight into the camera of their iPad. "I'm the Colonel. You're a doctor too? Pediatrics like my girl?"

Callie smiled, "No, sir. I'm the head of the Orthopedics surgical wing at the hospital." Arizona nudged her arm gently and Callie glanced over to see a beaming smile from her girlfriend pointed in her direction. She smiled back and Arizona leaned over, placing her head on Callie's shoulder.

"Well, at least you're a surgeon. Not some nurse or something."

"Daniel! That is incredibly inappropriate. Nurses are talented people too!" Barbara smacked the Colonel's shoulder but he remained stoic. "Well, Callie, it's very impressive that you are the head of your department! Maybe when we all come out next month we can take a tour of your surgical wing."

Callie shot a sharp glance over to Arizona who had a matching surprised expression on her face. "What?! You guys are coming!? TO SEATTLE!?" Arizona's face lightened in excitement, but Callie could only try to keep breathing. Her heart had stopped beating. Meeting the parents over an internet connection was one thing, but meeting them in person? She was definitely not ready for that.

"You think we'd let you miss out on another family Christmas?" Barbera's eyebrow lifted accusingly.

Arizona blushed. "Well, it's not like it's on purpose. I have to—"

"Work. Yes, we know. Which is why we're going to be driving the RV up there and bringing the family Christmas to you!"

Arizona sank back onto Callie with a sigh. "This is so great! I can't wait to see you! I moved in with Callie last night, actually, so…" She looked up at Callie who still had a frozen polite smile on her face. Her chest wasn't moving up and down and she knew she was in complete panic mode. She reached down and grabbed hold of Callie's hand, giving it a squeeze until she felt her ease a bit and start to breathe.

Her parents stayed staring at the screen without comment, clearly trying to process the situation and failing. A cry pierced through the apartment and Callie switched into action mode. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked hurriedly over to Arizona. "Sofia. I'll go get her." She looked back to the iPad to find matching confused expressions staring back. "It was so nice to finally meet you and I look forward to meeting you in person!" Callie nodded with a smile, pausing for a response but getting none. She turned to Arizona and kissed her cheek gently.

Arizona looked back to the screen with a nervous laugh.

Finally her father cleared his throat and with a gruff simply stated, "Well, you've been busy haven't you?"


	14. Ch 14: Christmas Letters

**AN**: I'm totally open to suggestions for where the story should go, so don't hesitate to leave comments and suggestions!

Here's Chapter 14: Christmas Letters

* * *

A week before Arizona's parents arrival, Mark poked his head into the Calzona apartment to find a very peculiar sight. "Mail call!"

Callie stood nearly three feet off the ground on a ladder so large he wasn't entirely sure how they'd managed to maneuver it into the apartment building. Arizona was swaying side to side with a sleepy Sofia on her hip who was currently fighting her afternoon nap in short bursts of high pitched screams. Callie turned to greet him from the ladder as Arizona sauntered over to him.

"Thanks, Mark! Care to join us?" Mark took another look at Sofia just as she started to nod off and woke herself by screaming.

He winced and responded, "Hm. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass. What're you guys doing anyways?"

Arizona bounced up and down in renewed excitement. "We're putting up Christmas decorations!" Sofia looked up and laughed at Arizona, who made a face and kept jumping to keep the baby laughing. She cooed to Sofia, "I'm funny? You think I'm funny?" then joined Sofia's laughs.

Mark sighed in exasperation then looked up at Callie with an eyebrow raised inquisitively. "Torres… Putting up Christmas decorations? You've got to be kidding me."

Callie cocked her hip, but quickly grabbed the ladder as it shifted. "What, you think we're starting a tree farm in our apartment? Why else would there be giant foliage taking up half of our living room?"

Mark shook his head with a chuckle. "Fair enough. I just never pegged you as the decorating type."

Arizona beamed. "That's because she's not! I am!"

Mark's shoulders relaxed as the whole situation started to make sense in his mind. "Oh! Ok, yeah that makes way more sense. Well good for you two. Your first Christmas together is gonna be…" he paused as he scanned the room; there were wreaths leaning against the wall where they'd be hung later, candles in every window, it even smelled like Cinnamon in the entire apartment, not to mention the rather impressive tree in the corner and the sets of ornaments laid out on the couch ready for decorating. "Beautiful." He nodded matter of factly, and with a smile left the ladies to decorating for their first Christmas together.

* * *

Arizona flipped through the mail, landing on one letter riddled with postage addressed to Sofia O'Malley-Torres. "Calliope?" Callie looked over from her perch.

"Yeah?"

"I think this is for you… it's addressed to Sofia, but she can't read."

Callie laughed at the obvious statement and how matter of fact Arizona had been while making the observation. Arizona grinned then handed the letter to Callie and set Sofia down in her playpen.

"Oh… it's from George." Callie looked to Arizona.

Arizona paused cautiously taking in Callie's stance. "What's it say?"

Callie squared her shoulders and cleared her throat.

"Dearest Sofia,

I hope your mother reads this letter to you when it finally arrives. Daddy had to go far away to help save some very important people's lives. But I want you to know that I think of you every morning and every night.

I hope you like your first Christmas, Sofia. I wish I could send you something to open Christmas day, but I'm afraid I don't know what to get you.

I hope you're healthy and are good for your mother, she loves you very much.

Merry Christmas,

Papa"

Callie dropped to the couch with a huff as she put the letter down on the coffee table. Arizona sat tentatively next to her, waiting for a response but ready for anything.

They sat in silence. Callie picked up the letter and read it again in her mind a hundred more times. She put it back down and processed it for nearly ten minutes before turning to Arizona and declaring, "That is the biggest load of shit I have ever read."

Arizona spit out the water she had just taken a gulp of and looked at Callie in shock. She thought she was ready for any reaction, but that wasn't one of them.

"Seriously. He called me her 'mother'. Since when am I anything but Mami to Sofia?"

Arizona nodded; it was true. She had been Mami since the day she was born.

"And he never once said he loved her… just that I did. And he even admitted to not knowing her enough to pick out a present. She's 8 months old! She wants what every other 8 month old wants… something to drool on!"

She threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"I can't believe he did this…"

Arizona paused and ran her hand along Callie's leg, calming her down. It was something she had learned to do while Callie was having nightmares. "I know it isn't exactly Shakespeare, but he tried. It's his way of trying to fix everything... I think he still wants to be in her life."

Callie glared at Arizona. "Well then he shouldn't have left us and moved half way across the world."

Arizona paused, frozen by the ferocity in her words. "Calliope…" she said almost at a whisper.

Callie shifted her glare forward and pursed her lips. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

Callie jerked her head to stare at Arizona. "Don't defend **him**. He knew what he was doing! He knew what leaving meant! He made that decision, and he doesn't get to use it against me now and play me out to be the bad guy. NO!"

Arizona grabbed Callie's hands and squeezed them, then looked into her beautiful brown eyes. They were usually so gentle and loving, but they were on fire right now. Seeing her so upset sent Arizona into full on Robbins-attack mode, but she needed to be level headed. "I am not defending him. What he did was wrong. It was so wrong I can't even fathom how someone could actually do it. I'm on your team, Calliope. Not his." Callie relaxed a fraction of her anger. "But I have to say, I got a pretty amazing girlfriend out of it, so I can't say I'm exactly bitter." She gave Callie a lopsided grin and cocked an eyebrow, making the Latina chuckle and breaking the last of the tension in the air. "Just try to see the good in him as a person… not your ex-husband who left you. Just as Sofia's father and as a soldier. He's a person who decided to make the decision to go save lives in a place where people like my brother, Tim count on people like him. There aren't enough people like George out there, and I have to say, I'm not exactly bitter about that side of his decision either."

Callie paused and watched Arizona in amazement. "I can't believe you can talk about him as if he has any good in him." She dropped her hands and walked over to the counter, sorting through the rest of the mail.

Arizona's shoulders sank. She really had hoped to help Callie mend at least that portion of her shattered heart; maybe now just wasn't the time. She really did see a spark of good left in George O'Malley, though. He had shown effort, which was more than could be said for some men. He'd also made a very courageous decision to serve his country, something she'd been taught was nothing but honorable.

Callie found a second letter riddled with postage on the counter and froze, staring at it.

Arizona watched a shadow of anxiety cloud Callie's face. "Calliope, what is it?"

Callie turned slowly. "It's another letter from George. It's addressed to me, though." Callie's eyes met Arizona's, needing support as her mind raced, wondering what he had to say to her. She walked back over to the couch and ripped open the letter then started to read it aloud.

"Callie,

Please read this. I understand if you want to rip this up right now and never see it again. But please. Read it."

Callie rolled her eyes and huffed, but kept reading.

"I know you think I joined the Army to get away from you and Sofia. In a way, I guess you're right. I freaked out and I ran. After I slept with Izzie, I realized that I had never felt that way before. In that moment, I realized I had made this huge mistake and I had dragged you into it. Instead of facing it though, I created another human being and dragged her into it too... I've never felt so guilty of something in my entire life.

You haunted me… You and Sofia both. You are the living, breathing, constant reminder of my biggest mistake. I never should have married you, and I am so, deeply, deeply sorry, Callie."

Callie paused and took a breath, wiping away a rogue tear. Arizona leaned in, laying her head on her shoulder and wrapping her arm around her. Callie looked over to Arizona briefly then took a deep breath to keep reading.

"I know that you came out of this marriage hurting, but that was not my intent. I feel so free… Free of that mistake and the guilt that filled my life. I hope you can feel free someday too.

I sent a letter for Sofia… I feel like she shouldn't have to grow up without both of her parents. It's my responsibility to be there for her. I created her and brought her into this mess, which is something I can't fix but I can try to make better, so please read her letter to her, too. I want to try to do better, so please let me try.

Merry Christmas,

George."

Callie set the letter down and looked at Arizona whose mouth was hanging wide open. She went to say something, but could only get one syllable to form.

Arizona was the first to make a complete sentence. She quoted the letter, "I created her and brought her into this mess?"

Callie flung the paper onto the table. "Something he can't fix?! Is he saying her entire existence is a MISTAKE?" Callie couldn't even process the thought.

Arizona grabbed his letter and tore it in half. She stared at the very surprised Callie and with every ounce of fury that had been building within her spat through her teeth, "Sofia is **not** a mistake."

Callie sat, stunned at the passion in Arizona's eyes.

"That child is **beautiful** and to say he was _guilty_ for creating that gorgeous little girl…" Arizona kept tearing the letter into smaller and smaller pieces then threw them into the fire place where a roaring heat engulfed them forever.

"Arizona…" Callie reached out to stop the blonde firecracker.

"NO! Calliope you are not a mistake! Sofia is not a mistake! How DARE he…"

"Arizona!" Callie cut her off and stood, pulling her into a hug. She held her close for a second, letting the blonde breathe. "Thank you."

Arizona stood in place, trying to release the anger in her, but she couldn't let it go. "You're not a mistake."

Callie stroked the back of Arizona's head. "I know. I know, Arizona."

Arizona's anger boiled over into tears pouring down her face. She grabbed onto Callie. "He can't say…"

Callie shushed Arizona and let her cry out her rage. She knew that she wasn't a mistake and that Sofia was definitely not something to feel guilt over creating. She knew it deep within her very core, but to have Arizona so defiantly proclaiming it was the most moving feeling she'd ever felt. Someone she was in love with was defending _her_ and was angry for _her_ to the point where she would worry for the other person's safety if he didn't happen to be halfway across the globe. It filled her heart and put every ounce of the pieces that George had broken back together. Instead of being put back in the same place though, they were added to the piece Arizona had saved. It was a new place in her heart that was just starting to rebuild. Piece by piece, Arizona was saving her and Callie felt it.

Arizona leaned out of Callie's arms to look into her eyes. "I love you, Calliope. And I love Sofia. I need you to know that that will **never** change."

"I know. Arizona, I love you, too. And Sofia loves you." They both looked at the little girl in her playpen. She had won against taking a nap and was currently chewing on a frozen teething ring. "She smiles every time she sees you. And you're the only one that can calm her down in the middle of the night…"

Arizona leaned in to kiss Callie's full lips, cutting her off. She loved those lips more than she ever thought she would. All of the times she imagined kissing Callie over the last few years never actually measured up to the real thing. Kissing Callie was always new, and yet felt as familiar as breathing. It always made her heart flutter and her stomach spin. She felt like she was flying through the air with her and never wanted to land. She soared when they were together, and it was becoming very clear she would never be able to let that feeling go.

"Ma-mi!" Sofia's voice startled and separated the women. Callie turned to look at Sofia then looked to Arizona, excitement overwhelming her. Arizona had a matching expression of excitement and squeezed Callie before they both turned to Sofia.

Callie ran up to Sofia and picked the babbling baby up. "What's that, baby girl?" Sofia looked up at Callie and grabbed her nose. "Mami!" Callie and Arizona squealed in unison and Arizona was immediately by Callie's side with a hand on Sofia's back.

"Calliope! She said it! She called you Mami!" Callie beamed at Arizona, tears streaming down her face. Arizona kissed her quickly and looked at Sofia. "That's right, baby girl! That's your Mami!" She kissed Sofia's head and wrapped her arm around Callie's waist.

She would never forgive George for causing Callie so much pain, but she couldn't help but appreciate him for one thing; he gave her the family that fulfilled the dream she didn't even know she had.


	15. Ch 15: Mama

**AN**: I'm basing Sofia's development solely off of my nephew who is 8 months old… So, I'm sorry if it is a little off at times, I don't know a whole lot about babies .

Here's Chapter 15: Mama

* * *

Arizona couldn't sleep. She tried, but she just couldn't stifle the excitement that had been building over the last month since her parents announced their visit. She shifted her eyes from the ceiling to her girlfriend sleeping beside her. She turned onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow and watched Callie's chest rise and fall steadily with each breath. Her mouth was barely open, her lips parted just enough to be inviting. She looked at the alarm clock on their nightstand and saw that it was almost 6:30. Sofia would be up by 7 and usually Callie woke up with her so that Arizona could sleep in just a bit longer, but she decided to take care of her this morning.

She leaned over Callie's sleeping body and kissed her gently on her plump lips. She smiled as the ends of Callie's lips curved into a smile and she reached instinctively to wrap her arm around Arizona. The blonde fell back on to the bed and allowed herself to be pulled against her for just a few minutes. She loved being held by Callie. It was in her arms where she felt warm, happy, secure, and loved. She loved the way that Callie always hooked her leg around one of hers, tangling their bodies together while she slept. As she had the thought, she felt Callie's foot glide up her calf, then the Latina adjusting to wrap her leg around Arizona's. She smiled and kissed Callie's hand and closed her eyes. These little moments were starting to become routine, almost a habit and she had never been one who could break a habit.

It amazed Arizona to think of how attached she was now to her little family. Sofia wasn't technically her daughter, but she almost felt like she was. She had never considered marriage or children before in her entire life, but lately it was occupying her every waking thought. She couldn't imagine a life now without Callie or Sofia. The little girl had stolen her heart completely. She was addicted to her smile, her laugh, and the way she called Callie 'Mami'. She was at the age now where it seemed like every day she was able to do something she couldn't do before, and every time, Arizona's heart filled with overwhelming pride. Sofia was incredible. She opened her eyes to check the time and saw that 7 was just a few minutes away. She kissed Callie's hand one more time and shifted out of her embrace, then walked to Sofia's nursery. She walked in to see the baby laying in her crib awake and just babbling to herself. She leaned over the edge of the crib to smile down at her and she beamed up at her with that amazing smile that was all her mother.

"Good morning, Sofi. How's my big girl this morning?" Sofia giggled and rolled herself over then reached for the bars of the crib to pull herself up. She had just started pulling herself up, and it was almost embarrassing how excited she still got every time Sofia was able to get to standing.

"Mama-ma-ma-mama", Sofia babbled and reached for Arizona. Her heart fluttered. This was the first time that Sofia had omitted the –mi part to her ma babbles. She swooped Sofia out of her crib. "What's that baby girl?"

Sofia grabbed her face and kept babbling "Mama-ma-ma-mama". Arizona blinked away tears as a huge smile spread across her face. She knew Sofia was just babbling and that there was almost no way she was really calling her Mama, but it sounded like she was; it really did, and now all that she ever wanted to hear was Sofia calling her Mama.

_Pull it together, Robbins._ Sofia wasn't even her daughter. She was Callie's daughter. Yes, she loved her and yes, she loved Callie, but it wasn't even something they had discussed. She took a deep breath and continued the morning routine of getting Sofia ready. She told her all about her parents while she was dressing her and getting her ready.

"And Pop is gonna love you! He loves the little princesses, yes he does!" Callie leaned against the doorframe and watched Arizona playing with Sofia's toes. She couldn't but smile as she heard her little girl's laugh ring through the nursery. She had almost panicked when the bed was cold and there was no Arizona in her arms when she woke up. She hated the feeling of waking up alone, especially ever since Arizona had been the one sharing her bed. All of the sudden, her bed didn't even feel like her bed without Arizona in it; showers weren't the same, watching TV was pointless, everything was empty without Arizona in it; her life was empty. It terrified her to know she had given herself away again without even realizing it, but every time she looked into Arizona's eyes she somehow knew everything would be fine.

"Morning, Babe!" Callie shuffled into the room and put an arm around Arizona's waist. She leaned in for a kiss; it was soft and sweet, yet still made Callie's stomach spin.

"Mmm, good morning, Calliope." Arizona smiled and leaned into the kiss, tasting the toothpaste from Callie's insistent morning routine of brushing her teeth before anything else.

Callie could feel a difference in Arizona… she couldn't quite pin point what it was, but there was definitely something different about her girlfriend. She seemed happy… very happy. Like, the kind of happy where you're on the brink of tears. She took a step back to watch her, trying to pick up on what had changed.

Arizona picked up Sofia and hugged her, pulling her in to kiss the top of her head. She closed her eyes and took in the baby smell, hugging her longer than usual before handing her to Callie.

The Latina shook her head and gave up. Something was different, but she decided it was probably just her excitement about her parent's arrival. "So, Pop, eh?"

Arizona blushed. "Yeah, I wasn't sure what to call my parents while talking to Sofia, so I just called them Pop and Gigi… it's what I called my grandparents growing up." She hesitated, realizing it wasn't something that she had cleared with Callie. "I hope that's ok! I know we didn't talk about it…"

Callie paused and cocked her head then looked to Sofia who gave her a giant smile. "No, that's great. I like that. And it looks like Sofi likes it too!" She bounced her on her hip, receiving her beautiful little laugh in return. She looked up to Arizona with a chuckle. "See? She loves it."

Arizona smiled, the tension releasing from her shoulders. "Oh, good. They're going to love that. They've always wanted to be grandparents." Arizona walked over with a smile and kissed Callie's lips then bounced towards their bedroom. "I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready!"

Callie was frozen in place, replaying Arizona's words over and over in her head. Ever since Sofia was born, she had dreamed of her first Christmas with her parents there to spoil her as their granddaughter. She had lost hope of that dream coming to fruition when her family cut her off, but she hadn't even thought that it might come true because of Arizona; her other half. She looked to Sofia as a tear fell. Arizona was family now that much was definitely true… Maybe, just maybe, Arizona's parents would become family too. "Maybe you'll have grandparents after all, baby girl."

She heard the water turn on and Arizona's voice start to ring through the apartment. She quickly realized that this might be the last opportunity for shower sex before Arizona's parents were there for a week. Her mouth went dry and she looked down at Sofia, suddenly torn between not wanting to put her down and really wanting to be in the shower with the sexy blonde she loved. "Awh, to hell with it…" She looked to Sofia. "Mami loves you, but you're going to have to entertain yourself for just a little bit." She put Sofia down in her pack-n-play with a kiss, grabbed the baby monitor and ran for the bathroom.

"_I am the Universe aaaand—_" the door to the bathroom opened, making Arizona jump.

"_You._" Callie finished the line as she tore off her shirt. Arizona's face erupted into a smile.

"Well, hello there. Care to join me?" Arizona reached out to grab Callie's hand, pulling her towards the shower. Callie stepped in with a predatory look and pressed herself against Arizona, who spun them and took Callie's other hand and held them above her head against the wall.

Their lips hovered, barely brushing together. Their breath was warm and quickening in pace. Callie broke first, crashing their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss. Arizona moaned into Callie's mouth, making her stomach flip and her knees go weak. The blonde's hips rocked into her, and Callie rocked back immediately. Arizona let go of Callie's hands and palmed her chest.

The hot water crashed against her back, but all she could feel were Callie's nails dragging down her back and the sudden need to feel her inside of her. Her movements grew frenzied and her moans louder. She forced her tongue past Callie's swollen lips and let it wander through her girlfriend's mouth.

Callie's legs almost gave way at the sudden passion Arizona was showing. She let the blonde take command of her body, realizing it was exactly what they both wanted and needed.

Arizona continued massaging Callie's chest with her left hand and reached down to cup her center with her right. Callie moaned and broke their kiss. "Oh, God, yes… Arizona…" Arizona met her eyes and kissed her one more time before leaning in to whisper in Callie's ear.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard, Calliope." Callie moaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

Arizona kissed Callie's neck and along her jaw line as she started circling Callie's clit. She loved making the Latina unravel in her arms, and she could already feel that she was close to coming completely undone.

She kissed Callie again as she pressed two fingers inside of her, eliciting a loud moan. It filled her mouth and resonated through her, causing her to weaken at the knees. Callie was bucking wildly against her hand and moaning uncontrollably. Her moans grew louder and higher pitched, but Arizona wouldn't break the kiss. Finally Callie threw her head back, and dug her nails in to Arizona's shoulders. Callie's moan bordered on a scream as it echoed throughout the entire bathroom. Arizona's body quivered at the sight of Callie climaxing harder than ever before. "Fuck, Arizona!" Callie's hips bucked involuntarily and Arizona pumped her fingers in and out of her in response, coaxing a second orgasm almost immediately. Arizona's eyes widened as she watched Callie go limp in her arms.

Callie's breathing evened and her first and only thought was to kiss Arizona; and kiss her she did. Their lips met in a new frenzy, one holding the promise of a lifetime. Both women couldn't find the words to tell each other they wanted forever, but in these moments, in the kisses that pulled them together, and the mind-blowing sex that sent them to an entirely different universe, they knew that their lives were forever entwined.

Callie flipped their positions so that Arizona was against the wall and pressed herself against her. She moaned into the kiss and rocked her hips against Arizona.

"Mm… Calliope…" Callie rocked into her again and kissed her jaw line.

"Yeah, baby?" She could feel Arizona's breathing quicken.

"Calliope, please… I'm close. I'm so close." Callie smiled and kissed her quickly.

"Of course, baby." She arched her eyebrow in a quick mischievous look as she got down on her knees and lifted one of Arizona's legs to hook over her shoulder. Arizona threw her head back in anticipation and grabbed at the walls for support.

Callie licked up Arizona's slit, taking in the juices that were already freely flowing. She flicked Arizona's clit and smiled as she bucked her hips in response. "Calliope, please…" Arizona moaned as her hips bucked again.

Callie latched her lips around Arizona's clit and started sucking, making Arizona utter a deep moan. She grabbed a hold of her hips to steady her then moved her tongue inside of her. She lapped up the wetness flowing from her, tasting her. She pressed her tongue deeper inside and reached one hand to circle her clit, holding her steady with her other hand.

"OH! YES! CALLIOPE! YES!" Arizona's moans turned into shouts and her hips bucked wildly against Callie. Her body ached as anticipation grew in the pit of her stomach. She rocked harder and Callie's tongue delved deeper and then she felt Callie's tongue curl, pressing against the spot she had never felt a tongue reach. Her vision blacked and her body started to shake. Every muscle in her body tightened as her climax overtook her. She stood to hold Arizona as her body shook. Callie steadied her and pressed in two fingers for Arizona to ride out her orgasm. She had never seen Arizona come apart so completely; it was breath taking.

Arizona opened her eyes to find Callie's brown eyes looking at her in complete astonishment. She managed a weak smile and chuckled. Callie pressed her lips against hers quickly and gently. It was going to be a long week, but that was one hell of a curtain call.


	16. Ch 16: The Robbins Clan

**AN**: This is a shorter update, but the next chapter should be up soon!

Thank you again, everyone for the follows/favorites/reviews. They mean a lot to me… writing is only a hobby but it's one that I love to share and it's really exciting when I realize other people actually enjoy my stories.

Anyways, here's Chapter 16: The Robbins Clan

* * *

**I AM SO EXCITED!**" Arizona turned and screamed at Callie, jumping almost as a physical exclamation point to her statement.

Callie laughed and shook her head before wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "I know you are, babe. You've been telling me for the last month just how excited you are. How long has it been since you saw them anyways?"

Arizona rubbed her chin as she counted back the number of holidays. "The last holiday was Thanksgiving three years ago. But we all got together when Tim deployed the first time, when he came back the first time, and then when he deployed in June. We like to throw big parties when we send him off… makes it less intense."

Callie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh. Wow! So it's only been a few months then?"

Arizona nodded, and then craned her neck for the thousandth time, hoping to catch a glimpse of her parent's RV. "I just really wish Tim could be here for Christmas." She paused and looked to the ground.

Callie tightened her grip on Arizona, pulling her in as close as their fluffy jackets would allow. "I know you do. I wish I could meet him. Tell me again why we're standing outside?"

Arizona looked up at Callie, almost offended. "So we can see exactly when my parents round that corner." She pointed to the end of the street, and as if summoning it into existence, an RV turned into view.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" Arizona jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "They're HERE!" Arizona pointed at the RV then tackled Callie in a hug. "COME ON!"

"Arizona, wait!" Callie called after Arizona, but settled on watching her adorable girlfriend run after her parent's RV. When they finally parked, Callie came up behind Arizona who was still bouncing uncontrollably.

She wrapped her arms around Arizona from behind and leaned her head on her shoulder, kissing her gently on the cheek. "You're adorable, you know that?"

"What?" Arizona turned to listen to Callie, but was immediately distracted by the door opening. Barbara was first down the stairs, running into Arizona's open arms. They squealed in unison and started dancing around as they jumped in excitement. Callie stepped back and laughed sweetly at the sight just as the Colonel made his entrance.

"Daddy!" Arizona let go of her mother to run into the Colonel's arms. He held onto her in a solid hug until he turned his body just as a third person emerged from the bus. Arizona froze as she watched her brother tromp down the stairs and land with a jump onto the pavement. Her hand shot to her mouth as tears started forming.

"Hey there, sis." Tim gave a lopsided grin and placed his bag on the ground, opening his arms to wrap her in a hug. She fell into his arms and started weeping. He laughed nervously as their parents joined hands before the Colonel pulled Barb closer so he could wrap his arm around her. Callie stood in place watching the beautiful moment as a single tear fell down her cheek. She knew how much Arizona had wished her brother would come for Christmas because it was just as much as she wished her family would come. She had gained some amount of solidarity from the fact that even Arizona's family who was so loving and accepting of her was going to be broken around the globe for Christmas. Now, though, they had somehow found a way to each other while her family still was broken and torn to shreds. She was happy, overwhelmingly so, for Arizona, but at the same time, her heart yearned so badly for that love from her own family, and knowing it would never happen would never stop hurting.

Arizona collapsed onto the ground still holding onto Tim, who took a knee to keep hugging her. Barb and the Colonel walked up and laid a hand on Arizona's back before both bending down to hug both of their children. Barb was the first to look to Callie, who brushed away her tears awkwardly with a chuckle. She smiled, then walked towards her and brought her into a proper Mama Robbins hug. Callie sank into the embrace immediately, which surprised her, but she didn't question it. It was a genuine hug full of love and she hadn't felt that from anyone but Arizona in a long time.

Barb gave her a squeeze then held her at arm's length, smiling at her just as the Colonel walked up carrying the bags. He paused and nodded to Callie with a smile lingering on his face.

Barb sighed, "Callie! It's so nice to finally meet you, dear."

Callie smiled and nodded. "It's so nice to meet you, too! And to have you here for Christmas!" She let loose her famous huge smile that always won over even the most difficult of patients. Barb squeezed her arms again and turned to face her husband.

"We're happy to be here!"

The Colonel nodded to Callie and asked, "Where's the little one, Dr. Torres?" Callie smiled. She was so happy that they seemed genuinely excited to meet Sofia.

"She's upstairs playing. Mark was watching her while we waited for you… outside." She added the last part with an eye roll to Arizona, who gave a sheepish grin.

"Mark…?", Barb questioned.

"Oh! My neighbor and a really good friend of ours. He's a surgeon at the hospital as well. Sofia loves him, so he watches her when we need to step out."

Barb's face lightened at the explanation. "Ah, I see. Well, hopefully he doesn't mind us stealing her away for some family time!"

Arizona had never seen such a huge smile on Callie's face, but she knew her well enough to know that tears were on their way. "Lead the way, Calliope!" She broke the moment, giving Callie a moment to compose herself. She gave Arizona a glance of appreciation, and took a deep breath to clear the air.

"Right! Do you need help with any more bags?" She looked past the Colonel to the RV where Tim still had his arm around Arizona. She smiled at her, looking for reassurance that she was ready. Arizona nodded and smiled back, then looked up to Tim and laughed before placing her head on his shoulder.

The Colonel missed the exchange as he looked around to take inventory of all the bags. "Nope. I got 'em all. Just show us the way!" Callie nodded and took another deep breath as she started the walk that led the whole Robbins clan, not just Arizona, into her life.


	17. Ch 17: Welcome to the Family!

Chapter 17: Welcome to the family!

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The second she was through the door, Barbara found Sofia. Callie chuckled and shrugged to Mark who had a very confused expression on his face. "Mark? I'm Barb, Arizona's mom!" Mark smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, ma'am." He nodded towards the Colonel. "Sir." The Colonel had never lost the protective father glare, and he used it in force now, making Mark duck slightly. He looked to Callie for support but she just shook her head; she was sure to get the brunt of the protective father through the next week, and they both knew it.

He handed Sofia to Barb and with a nod to Tim, walked towards the door. Callie caught his arm before he left. "Thanks, Mark." He smiled. "You owe me one, Torres." She laughed and smacked his arm as he laughed and went back to his own apartment across the hall.

Arizona and Callie gave a quick tour of their apartment, making sure everyone knew and understood Sofia's nap and feeding schedule. She had just gotten into a smooth routine since recovering from her surgery and they didn't want to break it. Callie noticed Barb watching her every move, which made her very nervous. Arizona was by her side the whole time though, offering supportive glances and wrapping her arms around her at every opportunity which helped tremendously. The blonde didn't even realize she was doing it until Callie kissed her quickly on the way back down the hall to the kitchen and whispered a thank you in her ear. They had agreed on as little physical contact as possible in order to make the week go by faster, but so far, it was only making it drag on to Arizona. To be fair though, everything Callie did turned her on, but actual kisses made it almost impossible for the blonde to control herself. Callie smirked as she recognized the familiar flutter of Arizona's eyes as she tried to bring herself together. She wrapped her arms around the blonde from behind and whispered in her ear, "I love you." Arizona turned her head and was happily met with the full lips she was looking for. She kissed her quickly before returning an "I love you" and breaking their embrace to run to catch up to her brother.

Barb pulled Callie aside as Tim and Arizona settled onto the couch talking. The Colonel had taken Sofia and wandered off somewhere. "So as long as we're on schedule, you really don't mind if we feed her or change her?" Callie chuckled then smiled sweetly at the woman. "No, of course not, Mrs. Robbins."

The older woman gave Callie an accusatory glance. "Er, Barb." Callie corrected and chuckled nervously. It was really different to be accepted so quickly into someone's family.

"That's better." She paused as a more serious tone came over her. "And, thank you."

Callie tried to read the woman's body language to try to understand the seriousness of her statement. She had only given her permission to do the not so glorious medial tasks of motherhood. Confusion read over her face, and Barb caught it.

The older woman shifted her weight and looked over to Arizona to make sure she wasn't paying close attention. "Thank you for giving me a grandbaby." Callie started to speak, but Barb stopped her. "Now, I know you aren't married _yet_. But, she's different with you. She looks like your wife, and honey you look like hers. So maybe it's a bit quick to call Sofia my grandbaby, but it doesn't feel like it."

Callie stopped and looked to Arizona. The blonde shifted her gaze at the exact same moment and smiled when their eyes met. Callie melted into her smile as if it was a kiss. She looked back to Barb who had a knowing smile across her face. "You just…" Barb paused, looking for the right word. "You fit." With that she gave Callie a squeeze and walked away, presumably to find her husband and her newly labeled granddaughter.

Callie stood frozen in the kitchen holding a glass of water, the words of her maybe sort of mother in law rolling through her mind. She knew that Arizona made her whole, but she had never considered that she made Arizona whole. To say that they fit though was nothing short of perfect. They fit; and they always had.

"Calliope?" Arizona's voice broke her from her trance. She hadn't even noticed the blonde cross the room to stand in front of her. "Are you alright? What did my mom say?" She looked into Callie's eyes for answers.

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine. Your mom is…" her voice trailed, looking for the right word.

"Nosy. Nosy is what she is." Arizona turned with anger boiling under her skin. She knew she shouldn't have left her mother alone with Callie. She had never been the nicest person in the world to her girlfriends. She asked way too many personal questions, and she knew Callie had serious boundaries.

Callie grabbed her wrist, stopping her from storming away. "Arizona, stop." She turned to face Callie. "Your mom is amazing." That stopped Arizona in her tracks. None of her girlfriends had actually really liked her family before… not that she could blame them. The Robbins crew can be a bit much to handle.

"What?"

"Your mom… she's amazing. She just caught me a little off guard."

Arizona paused, looking for more details just as Tim walked up to the breakfast bar and interrupted the moment. "So. You keep this place stocked or am I gonna have to go do some hunter gatherer shit?"

Callie laughed and shook her head as Arizona scolded him. "No, we've got plenty of food. Although since you're here, we might need to go get another chicken for tonight."

Tim straightened his back and threw his hand dramatically to his chest. "A whole chicken!? Just for me!?" All three of the young adults broke into a hysterical fit of laughter and Callie looked from Arizona to Tim, mesmerized at how similar they were. Tim shot Callie a wink and patted the counter as he stood up to get a beer. "Well, I'm not goin to the store. I just got here." He swung his arm around Arizona's shoulders. "Also, I'm a guest. Sooo…" Arizona jabbed him in the ribs and laughed as he doubled over. "Damn, little sister! I've been in town for a day and you're already abusing me."

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever, baby." Tim set his beer down and Callie's eyes widened as she watched her girlfriend get tackled to the ground by her giant soldier of an older brother.

All she could utter was a pitiful, "uhm…" as she watched the two siblings wrestle their way across the living room. She recognized a few of the moves Arizona used to flip her brother over from some particularly heated nights where they had battled for dominance. She took note of how Tim got out of it to gain the upper hand again.

"Oh, will you two knock it off!" Mama Robbins entered the living room and immediately the two siblings froze, holding their positions. "Now, I mean it! You are grown adults, or so you try to tell me!" Both blondes blushed tremendously and looked to each other quickly before letting their holds go and helping each other up. Tim scratched the back of his head and looked around sheepishly.

"Right, sorry, Arizona…"

She punched him one more time before scurrying away quickly to Callie's side.

"Honestly…" Barb pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head slowly.

Tim was the first to defend himself. "She started it, Mom!"

Callie chuckled to herself. This was such a typical family moment; something she had never truly experienced before. It was starting to get slightly awkward though, so she decided to break it up. "Mrs. Ro—Barb. Arizona and I were just about to head to the store to get some more food for tonight. Do you mind watching Sofia?"

She knew that would put the woman in a better mood, and it did. A smile quickly spread across her face. "I'd love to! Dan's got her now… she's passed out on his chest." A dreamy smile came across her face. "He found the rocking chair." She laughed to herself, clearly living a different moment than the present.

"Great. Thank you. Do you need anything while we're out?" She looked to both Barb and Tim who shook their heads. "Right. Well, we'll be back soon!"

* * *

The car ride found both women lost in their thoughts. Callie couldn't believe how at home she already felt with Arizona's family. She hadn't even thought about George, her parents, or Aria all day. She wondered how long it had been since she could say that she hadn't had a stressful thought for an entire day. Most of her troubles had disappeared since Arizona came into her life, but now it felt as though they had completely vanished. For an entire day, she was worry free. She took a deep breath and relished in the feeling of being completely content and happy.

She knew Sofia was fast asleep on her Pop's chest, her Uncle Tim and Gigi were in the living room presumably napping or watching TV. Her daughter had a family. She had a family. It stung her heart to realize how much she had missed the feeling of really _having_ a family. She had a sister and two parents; they weren't dead. They still existed. Somewhere on this planet, she had a family, but it didn't feel like it much these days. She looked over to Arizona who seemed to be in a world of her own. She reached over and entwined their fingers and gave her hand a squeeze.

Arizona looked down with a smile and reoriented her gaze to the road. "I can't believe Tim is _actually_ here!"

Callie sighed and sank into her seat, happy for the change of thought. "I know! I couldn't believe it when he stepped out of the RV… It's like a Christmas miracle or something."

Arizona looked to Callie with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Oh, like you didn't know."

Callie froze. "No, actually. I had absolutely no idea."

Arizona just nodded. "Mhmm. Sure. Okay, Calliope."

"Really! Arizona, I had no idea. If I did, I would've told you."

Arizona looked over to Callie, clearly not believing her.

"Ok, so maybe I wouldn't have told you. But I swear I didn't know!" Callie was almost offended that Arizona would think she would keep something like that from her.

Arizona laughed and rolled her eyes. "Alright. Whatever you say, Calliope."

Callie tore her hand free and crossed her arms, staring out of the passenger window with a huff. Arizona looked over to her, shocked. She was just kidding, but maybe she had taken it a bit too far. She brushed her hand along Callie's leg soothingly. "Hey, hon. I was just kidding. I believe you." Callie didn't move. Arizona sank back into her seat and focused on driving. The tension in the car built until Arizona just couldn't take it anymore.

"Calliope. I was kidding."

Callie shifted. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just…" She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a big breath. "I'm just jealous and bitter and I need to not be, because your family is amazing and wonderful and perfect…"

Arizona waited for Callie to continue, but as the silence dragged on she finally understood. "But they aren't Aria or your parents."

Callie turned to Arizona. "Please don't be mad. I love your family! Really. I do."

Arizona stopped her. "No, I understand. You miss your parents and your sister and it's hard. This is the first Christmas since they stopped talking to you… you're allowed to miss them, Calliope."

A tear ran down Callie's cheek as she sank father into her seat, trying to hide from the world. Arizona noticed and immediately pulled over and stopped the car, unbuckled her seat belt, and leaned over to embrace Callie. "I've been trying so hard to be happy for you. And I am! I am happy." Callie's body started to shake as sobs overtook her body. "I just… I need a minute to miss my family." Arizona traced soft circles on her back and kissed the top of her head, holding her close.

"I know, I know, honey. It's okay. You take your minute."

* * *

Dinner went smoothly. Sofia was passed around between every member of the family. She loved all of them, but especially the Colonel. Callie watched her daughter while carrying conversation about the crazy Seattle weather, her newest and most exciting surgeries, and fun childhood memories. Tim did nothing but make faces at Sofia, which amused her to no end. Barb had a way of calming her down enough to just watch everyone eat. As soon as the Colonel got her though, she was perfectly content to just stare up at him and grab at his face at the most inopportune moments.

When it came time for Sofia to go to sleep, Arizona was the first one to volunteer. Callie stood back, surprised at how anxious Arizona was to put her to bed. The blonde swooped up the little girl who giggled and immediately melded into the familiar embrace. Arizona had a hard time admitting to even herself how much she missed holding the little girl through the day. Usually she was the one to play with her, and she had really missed it. She kissed the top of Sofia's head and walked towards the nursery, swaying gently.

Everyone in the room seemed to watch her with raised eyebrows, but immediately tried to hide their shocked expressions. Tim and Barb said good night and Tim headed for the RV, while Barb walked towards the guest bedroom. She waited for her husband, but smiled and closed the door behind her as she watched him take a step towards the window, looking over the city. Callie came up beside him and looked over to the hospital, wondering who was on call that night and what surgeries were sending her colleagues rushing through the halls as she watched the rain drops trace down the window.

The Colonel cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. "You're good for my daughter." Callie didn't look away from the window as her heart started pounding. "You're strong, I can see it in the way you carry yourself. You have to be, you're a mother, and a very good one." Callie thought to say something, but he continued without giving her the opportunity. "My Arizona never wanted to have children. But the way she is with Sofia, tells me she's changed her mind about that, and she doesn't change her mind for anyone. She loves you." He took a deep breath, and then almost at a whisper continued. "Take care of my little girl, Callie." He turned to face her and with a nod, walked towards the door.

"Colonel?" He stopped walking, and looked at her expectantly. She paused, determined to be heard. "You don't need to worry about her anymore. You've raised her to be a good man in a storm, and she has been." He nodded knowingly, but Callie wasn't finished. "I have a daughter of my own, so I know telling you to not worry won't make you stop, but you have raised an incredible woman." She shifted her weight and took a deep breath. "An incredible woman that I love _very_ much." His posture shifted as he took in the full meaning of her words. "And I will keep loving her until the day I die. So, don't worry Colonel." Callie paused, hoping her words weren't falling on deaf ears. "I'll take care of your daughter, just like she takes care of me."

The Colonel paused and nodded, thinking about what he had just heard. He turned to face Callie then stepped forward, closing the gap between them and bringing her into a secure embrace. She froze, not expecting this reaction at all, but quickly regained her composure and let herself sink into the hug. He squeezed her gently before taking a step back and meeting her eyes. "Thank you." He smiled gently and headed for the guest bedroom.

She watched him, still in complete shock of what had just happened. From the corner of her eye she caught the tell-tale movement of Arizona's blonde hair.

She had seen the entire exchange and listened from Sofia's nursery. To have such a heartfelt plea from her father made tears build and threaten to fall. But when Callie called her a good man in a storm, it took all of her strength to not tackle her girlfriend in kisses and I love you's. She knew Callie loved her, but to hear her defend their love to her father filled her with a new breath of fresh air. When her father embraced Callie, the tears that had been building finally fell down her cheek. She wiped them away quickly as soon as she realized Callie wasn't moving.

She raced towards the Latina and threw her arms around her neck. She kissed her fervently, silently thanking her for every word she had said. They met in that universe they created together, stars spinning around their heads. Clocks stopped ticking, the walls fell away, and they were together. Callie returned the kiss with passion, pressing her full lips on the thin lips she had come to love. They separated, drawing quick breaths and pressing their foreheads together. Arizona smiled as Callie gave a quick chuckle. "Welcome to the family, Calliope."

* * *

**A/N**: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had fun writing it. Next up: CHRISTMAS! :D


	18. Ch 18: Talk to the Dragons

Chapter 18: Talk to the dragons

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The smell of bacon filled the entire house. Callie smiled to herself as she came out of her deep sleep. She loved Arizona so much she didn't think she could love her anymore, but the mornings where she woke up early to make breakfast made her question her love capacity. As she came out of her sleepy daze though, she realized her arm was still strewn across her girlfriend's stomach, which was rising and falling steadily with every breath she took. _What? If Arizona is here… then…_ her brow creased as her surroundings came back into focus. Arizona turned onto her side, grabbing Callie's hand and pulling herself against Callie's warm body. She wrapped her arm securely around Arizona in response and kissed her head softly. A soft moan escaped Arizona's lips as she kissed Callie's hand.

"Morning, beautiful. Merry Christmas." Callie whispered into Arizona's ear before kissing her neck softly.

"Mmm… morning. Christmas…" Arizona was still half asleep. It always made Callie chuckle how she could have an entire conversation with a half-asleep Arizona and she wouldn't remember any of it.

"Someone's making breakfast. Do you want any?" Callie kissed her neck again, hoping to bring her out of her sleepy state.

Arizona groaned softly, her eyes still shut. "Talk to the dragons."

Callie snorted. "Talk to who?"

"The dragons. Talk to the dragons."

Callie had to stifle her laugh. "Honey, there are no dragons… Arizona?"

Arizona's brow creased in confusion, but her eyes remained shut. "Those fuckers _lied_ to me?!"

Callie couldn't hold back anymore, and the bed shook as she threw her head into her pillow to dampen her laughter.

"Calliope…" Arizona's eyes were still shut, but her voice was clearing from her deep sleep into clarity.

Callie kissed her neck. "Morning, beautiful."

"Calliope, I need a new washer."

Callie looked at Arizona and chuckled again to herself when she realized her girlfriend was **still** asleep. "Oh, okay, honey. We'll get you a new washer. Come on, wake up."

"No, I need you to talk to the dragons about a new washer."

Callie shifted so that Arizona rolled onto her back and she was straddling the blonde's hips. Blue eyes shot open in surprise and she looked around frantically until Callie leaned down and kissed her gently. She pulled away, chuckling.

"What? Why are you laughing? Did I drool?" Arizona reached to wipe her face.

Callie started laughing again and fell on to the bed beside the blonde. "No, you're perfect."

"Oh, okay… Merry Christmas, Calliope…" Arizona leaned over to straddle the Latina's hips just as Sofia's laughter rang through the bedroom.

"Sofi…" Callie grabbed Arizona's hips and pushed her aside then moved to leave the bed. Tim's voice followed Sofia's laughter in his garbled baby speech he had acquired while playing with the little girl.

The women looked to each other and smiled.

"So, your mom is making breakfast, Tim has Sofia… looks like the shower's open." Callie wiggled her eyebrows and Arizona giggled as she pulled her in for an excited kiss.

"Yeah, we should conserve water, though." Arizona said in-between kisses as they both lifted off the bed and hobbled towards the bathroom.

"Oh, definitely. Conserve water." Callie's hands wandered down to Arizona's hips then rounded her ass, lifting her. Arizona wrapped her legs around Callie's waist with a squeal.

* * *

"Cal? Arizona? Breakfast is almost ready! You two almost done?" Tim's voice rang through the bathroom as he knocked on the door.

"Go away, Tim!" Arizona moaned. She had herself pressed against a very sexy, wet Latina and she didn't want her brother ruining it.

"No! Mom wants to know how much longer…"

Arizona thumped her head against Callie's shoulder in frustration.

"We'll be out in a few minutes, Tim!" Callie yelled with as much cheerfulness as she could muster. She was really enjoying having a moment to be alone with Arizona, but she also didn't want to irritate her new sort of in-laws.

"Alright… just hurry up. I'm hungry and I want to open presents!"

"Mhmm, okay! Be right out!" Callie shouted. She let her head fall against the back of the shower and she groaned in frustration. "I don't wanna leave…" She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help fall back into a toddler temper tantrum. She hated having other people intrude on her plans... especially when those plans involved making her woman scream her name.

Arizona nodded. "I know… I don't either."

Callie kissed Arizona again as she reached to turn the water off. "Stupid brother ruining everything…"

Arizona smiled at the casual reference of Tim as her brother. It warmed her heart more than she ever thought possible to be able to share Tim as a brother with Callie. He had always been **her** brother, and she was very protective of him. None of her other girlfriends were ever allowed to call him their brother, not that any of them had gotten to the point where they wanted to. She wanted to share everything with Callie though, her mother, her father, even her brother. It struck her as she watched the Latina climb out of the shower and wrap a towel around herself that she really was the one. She was the one she wanted to share everything with; her entire life, forever.

She wanted to marry this woman.

* * *

There weren't many presents for anyone besides Sofia. Callie and Arizona laughed as they opened their presents from each other and found nearly identical heart necklaces. Callie's was white gold, while Arizona's was solid gold. The whole family got a kick out of it, and both women decided immediately that they would never take the necklaces off. Arizona had already mailed Tim's present to his barracks in Afghanistan, and although he insisted it was fine, she felt horrible about not having anything to give him. When he opened a package of socks from the Colonel and Barb, Arizona almost died laughing. Callie didn't quite understand why it was so funny until Tim explained that it was a long running joke that he always got socks for Christmas. Arizona's parents loved the wine kit that they had gotten them, and insisted on finding a decent wine store to find some wine to try it with. Sofia was showered with toys and clothes; more than she honestly needed.

"We'll have to send some of these to Gigi's and Pop's for when we visit!" Callie bounced a laughing Sofia who was currently drooling on one of the teething toys. Barb's hand flew to her chest as a tear brimmed in her eye at hearing their new nicknames for the first time. "Oh, is that okay? Arizona said…"

"No, it's perfect. And we'd love to have you visit! We'll have to plan that."

Callie nodded. "Of course. Now, who's ready for games?"

Arizona never realized how much Callie loved board games until she had gotten way too excited when Tim pulled out what had to be his entire collection. "Ooo you brought Catan?! What about… AHH ARIZONA HE HAS PUERTO RICO!" Arizona's eyes widened. "I used to play this all the time in med school! What about Black Gold? Ooh! Or Power Grid!" Tim's blue eyes met Arizona's and they shared a moment of confusion.

"Wait, you like board games?" Tim questioned.

"Like them? I love them! I just never have the time to play, so I didn't bother with spending money on them."

"Well, I bet I can kick your ass at Catan."

Callie cocked her hip. "Oh, really? Well, clearly you've never played against a Torres. Get it set up, I'll grab some snacks. Arizona, you in?"

Arizona laughed and settled down onto the floor with Sofia. "No, thanks. I'll go ahead and put together some of these toys for Sofi." The blonde didn't want to admit it, but she really just missed playing with the little girl that had become so much like a daughter to her. She felt like her mom, and while it terrified her, it also felt insanely right.

The rest of the day went beautifully. They left a playlist of Bing Crosby, Michael Buble, and Jason Mraz on in the background filling the room with Christmas music. Tim lost heartily to Callie in every single game, except for Black Gold which Barb swept them under the rug in. Arizona spent most of the day with Sofia, except for nap time which Callie always handled. It started snowing around dinner time, which just added the perfect touch to the end of a perfect day.

* * *

As Arizona slipped under the covers that night, she couldn't help but think that this was probably the best Christmas she had ever had. She wrapped her arm around Callie and kissed her shoulder. Callie nestled in closer and kissed her hand.

"Arizona?"

"Hm?" She rested her chin on Callie's shoulder.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For loving me and for loving Sofia." She paused. "For giving me a family again and making this Christmas perfect. Just, thank you."

Arizona shifted and Callie turned to face her. Her blue eyes were filling with tears as she searched the deep brown of Callie's eyes before leaning in to kiss her full lips. "I love you, Calliope." She had so much more she wanted to say. She wanted to thank Callie for giving her a family, for giving her a daughter to love, for loving her. She wanted to tell Callie how much her life had changed because of her, how it felt like she had been awakened into a life full of love and laughter every time she looked into her eyes.

But there was no way to say all she wanted to say, so she kissed her instead. She moaned into the kiss and felt the familiar buzz of Callie's moan against her lips. She broke the kiss, breathing heavily and straddled Callie's hips. "I wish I could show you just how much I love you." Callie smiled and used one of Tim's wrestling moves to flip them over.

"Well if you're quiet, we can show each other." Callie's eyebrow arched, and broke Arizona's resolve.

"Oh, I'll be quiet. But I don't think you will." Callie cocked her head in confusion as Arizona flipped them again and kissed her fervently as she set out to give Callie her last Christmas present.


	19. Ch 19: Tour Guide Barbie

Chapter 19: Tour guide Barbie

* * *

Callie's cabin fever set in four days into the Robbins' visit. Arizona knew she wouldn't last much longer cooped up in the house, but her whole family loved to just relax and play games. So, when Arizona recommended a morning jog, Callie nearly suffocated her with a huge bear hug. They ran their typical route around their favorite park, which usually wore them both out. Arizona was exhausted, but Callie felt like she could do at least three more laps. She could see how worn out Arizona was though, so she insisted they head home.

Callie focused her energy instead on making a huge pancake breakfast. It was the first time she'd been able to wake up early enough to make breakfast before Barb took over the kitchen. She loved Barb's cooking, but it was nice to be back in her zone for just a bit.

Her cooking was a huge hit, just like it had been all week. Callie loved to cook, and it was really exciting for her to have people to share it with. Arizona was always a willing participant, as was Mark, but she knew from now on, family meals would just feel incomplete without the chaos of the whole Robbins clan.

As they were picking up from breakfast, Callie's cell phone started ringing and her pager went off simultaneously. Arizona watched carefully as Callie answered her phone and started to pace back and forth. It didn't take long for the already tightly wound Callie to start yelling into the phone. The blonde had become accustomed to the Latina's fiery temper, but her family was still in a bit of shock when she slammed her phone down on the counter. She quickly stepped towards her and placed a hand on her hip, searching her eyes and nodding as Callie ranted in Spanish.

"Okay, honey, you're gonna need to switch languages here. Calliope, what's wrong?"

Callie snapped out of her rant and stared into Arizona's eyes, calming herself. "The hospital needs me. Because APPARENTLY there isn't anyone else in Ortho who can handle the case that just came in."

Arizona leaned back. "Did you tell them you had family in town?"

"Only a hundred times! They aren't supposed to page me in… But they need me, like, right now."

Arizona nodded and rubbed Callie's side, but her eyes dropped to the floor for an instant in disappointment.

"I love you?" Callie lifted Arizona's chin and kissed her swiftly. "And I'm sorry, but I do have to go."

"No, I know. You're lucky you're dating a surgeon." She winked, and Callie smiled.

Tim cleared his throat, making both women blush as they realized they had an audience. Arizona took a step back so they were a respectable distance apart.

"Right. Uhm, sorry. The hospital just called and they need Callie to come in for an emergency surgery."

Callie nervously scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, I'm really sorry. It's just no one else in Ortho has experience with this procedure… I wouldn't go in if I thought anyone else could do it. I'm really sorry."

The Colonel was the first to speak. "No, don't worry about us. Arizona here can show us around the city for the afternoon. You go, we'll be fine."

Callie looked to Arizona for confirmation. The blonde nodded and grabbed Callie's bag to hand it to her. "Go. Rebuild bones like the superstar you are."

Callie smiled and kissed her again. She ran over to Barb who was holding Sofia and kissed her daughter's head. "Mami loves you!" She reached the door and turned to Arizona. "I should be done by dinner time if you want to meet somewhere in the city? Just send me a text and I'll give you a call when I get out." She turned to the rest of the Robbins clan. "Sorry again, everyone. I really wish I didn't have to go in. But, have fun with tour guide Barbie!" Tim doubled over as Arizona looked to Callie shocked. She winked and laughed as she closed the door behind her.

"I like her!" Tim pointed towards the door, still laughing. Arizona smacked the back of his head. "I don't even care. She's awesome… tour guide Barbie…" He shook his head and looked to his sister before busting out laughing all over again.

Arizona rolled her eyes. "It wasn't that funny. Now, come on, let's get baby girl here ready to go and we can set out to go see the city!"

* * *

They spent the whole day walking around the city building an appetite, so when Callie suggested their favorite pizza place in the heart of the city, the whole Robbins clan was on board. Tim insisted on sitting next to Callie, saying he found a new favorite sister and didn't need Arizona anymore. He still pulled the chair out on the other side of him for her, and winked at her letting her know he was just messing around. She honestly didn't mind though; she loved that he liked her so much. Tim's approval meant more than even her father's.

By the time they all got home, everyone was exhausted, so they put on some tea and pulled out the Scrabble board for the first time. Arizona had warned Callie that Scrabble was more of an Olympic sport than anything else in the Robbins household, but she still wasn't prepared for the seriousness of the game. Arizona and Callie teamed up so there would be four players and so that Callie could take care of Sofia; she hated leaving her for an entire day, and Arizona knew that Callie needed to have her daughter close. Tim had dubbed the team 'Calzona' and swore to annihilate their score. It was already a given that Barb would win; she always did. But, he thought he might have a shot against beating the Calzona team.

Halfway through the game, Barb was ahead by over 100 points, but the Colonel was playing a solid game. Tim and Calzona were only 20 points apart, and the girls were determined to pull ahead. Callie kept offering Tim beer, hoping he would take the bait and get a bit wasted so he wouldn't play as well, but he caught on and finally took one but only sipped it. Arizona watched as Callie grew more and more competitive and had to laugh as Tim matched her level of intensity. As the game neared its end, Tim was 15 points behind Calzona who were neck and neck with the Colonel. Barb was only 40 points ahead of the Colonel, but at that stage of the game, they all knew it was going to be difficult to match her score. Callie watched Tim carefully as he rearranged his tiles, concentrating on the different combinations. Suddenly, his face lit up and he looked to Callie. "HA! Recited!" He placed the 7-letter word down across a triple word score, securing his victory.

"WHAT!?" Callie watched as he placed the tiles down and she dropped her head to the table in defeat. Arizona got up and walked to the kitchen to put her mug in the sink.

"Well, I guess that means Tim won. Good game!" Barb picked up the Colonel's mug and her own and followed Arizona into the kitchen.

"Yes sir! That's right! How do you like them apples, Torres?!" Tim got up from the table as Callie groaned.

The Colonel laughed and got up and stretched. "Well, everyone. These old bones are pretty sore. I'm gonna hit the hay. Barb, you coming?"

Barb nodded and kissed Arizona on the cheek as she went to follow her husband. "Good night, everybody!"

Tim picked up the game then stood against the counter drinking the rest of his beer. "You guys up for a movie? I want to enjoy a victory beer." Callie chuckled as she came out of Sofia's nursery after putting her down for the night.

"Yeah, I'm game. I might fall asleep though." Callie yawned.

Arizona nodded and pulled out three beers from the fridge. "Star Wars?"

Tim looked at his sister excitedly. "STAR WARS!" Callie's eyebrows shot up as she watched the siblings rush to the DVDs, arguing over which episode to watch. She didn't even know they owned Star Wars…

They settled on Episode 5 then plopped down on the couch. Callie leaned against Arizona and put her head on her shoulder. She adjusted, trying to get comfortable, but huffed as she realized she wasn't going to be able to cuddle with Arizona like she wanted to. Tim grabbed her legs and swung her around so that her feet were on his lap. She squealed at the action and grabbed a hold of Arizona so she wouldn't fall off the couch.

"Here, just put your feet on my lap so you can lay your head down. I don't mind."

Callie looked to Arizona who just shrugged and put a pillow in her lap. She laid her head down and moaned in delight when Tim started rubbing her feet. "Oh, god. Thank you." Tim chuckled and threw his feet up on the coffee table.

"No problem. I know your feet have to hurt after standing for what was it?"

"Uhm... 10 hours."

Tim shook his head. "Damn. 10 hours. That's insane. Yeah, you deserve this."

Callie adjusted herself, cuddling into Arizona and sighed as she felt familiar fingers running through her hair. Soon enough, sleep overcame her and she felt into a deep slumber.

Arizona noticed the steadying of her girlfriend's breathing and smiled to herself. She leaned down and kissed her head, then leaned back to enjoy the movie.

They sat through the first few minutes of the movie, quietly sipping their beers when Tim took a breath and asked plainly, "So, you gonna ask her to marry you?"

Arizona didn't even hesitate. "Yep."

"Good." He took a swig of his beer and looked to Arizona with a huge smile. "I'm gonna dance so hard at your wedding." He tilted his beer towards Arizona.

She laughed and tapped her beer bottle against her brother's. "You better." She paused. "Thank you for coming out here for Christmas. I really missed you and it just wouldn't have been the same without you."

He smiled. "I missed you too."

"When do you go back?"

He stopped to draw an imaginary calendar in his brain. "Uhm, the third? Yeah. January 3rd. I'll be back in May though." Arizona sighed. She hated having Tim deployed. "So plan a June wedding, got it? There's no way they're gonna give me leave again, so you gotta wait til I get back."

Arizona laughed and shook her head. "You kidding? Get married without you there to dance? Yeah, there's no way I'm missing that."

Tim nodded confidently. "Good. Now shut up, Luke's about to crash into Dagobah and meet the crazy version of Yoda… I freaking love this part."

Arizona rolled her eyes and settled into the couch, running her fingers through the love of her life's raven hair and dreaming of their wedding day, complete with her raving lunatic of a brother dancing away in the background.


	20. Ch 20: Promises Made

**AN**: Hey everyone! I can't believe the response I've gotten on this story… I'm almost to 100 reviews and 50 favorites! So! I've decided to say thank you to all of my readers by taking a one-shot prompt each from whoever writes the 100th review and the 50th person to favorite the story! I'll PM them both and if they want (don't feel obligated) they can answer with any Calzona prompt they can think up. I'll post it within a week with full credit to the person who comes up with it. If you don't want to come up with a prompt, that's totally fine, just let me know and I'll work my way down the list of reviewers and favorites until it gets to the point where I get that you guys actually just hate me ;)

Also… This chapter is full of feels, fair warning.

Here's Chapter 20: Promises

* * *

"Torres!"

Callie startled awake at the sound of her last name. Her eyes shot open and she instinctually reached over to protect Arizona. The blonde grumbled as she brushed her hair out of her face and sat up with a yawn. "What –…" She looked around before looking to Callie. "What's wrong?"

"Torres! You up yet?!" Tim's voice rang through the room and Arizona fell to her pillow with a groan.

Callie looked to Arizona apologetically and kissed the top of her head quickly. "Sorry, hon! Tim scared me. You can go back to sleep." She swung her legs out of bed and yelled towards their door. "Be right out!" Arizona groaned and threw her pillow over her head, trying to block out all the yelling. It was no use though, she was already up.

Tim shouted back, "Alright. Hurry up! I wanna try to get to three miles today!" then turned towards the living room to warm up for their run.

Arizona propped herself up on her elbow, watching Callie as she walked around their bedroom, tearing off her pajamas and replacing them with jogging shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top. "Do you really have to go?"

Callie turned and her breath caught as her gaze shifted across her beautiful girlfriend who was glowing as the sun entered into the room and draped across her skin. She loved how her blonde hair seemed to radiate the sunlight… almost like an angel. Every ounce of her was screaming to go tackle her angel and show her the way to heaven, but the sound of Tim counting as he did pushups broke her from her thoughts. "Tim really wants to go running with me…" She walked towards the bed and leaned over Arizona. "Besides, he kicked my ass yesterday. There's no way I'm going to let him leave tomorrow without beating him at least once."

Arizona rolled her eyes but accepted the soft kiss from her. "You know there's no way you're going to beat him, Calliope."

Callie laughed as she stood up, stretching her back. "Yeah, probably not. But I have to try." She looked back to the sexy blonde in her bed and groaned. She hated having to leave her, especially in the morning when she looked so unkempt and wild. It was her favorite look besides her after-sex glow. She resolved to take her woman to heaven when she got back and leaned back over to kiss Arizona one last time. "The next time you see me, I'll be all hot and sweaty, so don't take a shower without me." Arizona laughed and shook her head as Callie winked before turning and leaving their room, closing the door behind her.

The pair was just finishing their third mile when Callie's calf started cramping. "Shit. Tim! Tim! Stop for a second." Callie grabbed his arm and leaned over to catch her breath.

"What? Too much to handle, Torres?" Tim laughed as he kept jogging in place.

"Oh, shut up." Callie stretched out her calf and winced. "My leg cramped up. Just give me a second and we can finish."

Tim stopped jogging and looked to his watch. "Alright. We're almost done anyways and in damn good time too!" Tim patted Callie on the back as they walked over to the grass next to the trail. They were at the top of a hill, and they could see the whole city of Seattle from where they sat.

"You know, I could get used to a view like this."

Callie sighed. "No kidding. There's not a whole lot to love about Seattle. But this?" Callie waved her hand in front of her, gesturing to the view. "This isn't half bad." Callie fell back onto her elbows and stretched her legs out.

Tim looked over to Callie and smirked.

"What?" Callie looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not half bad yourself, Callie."

Callie chuckled as the tension left her shoulders. "Well, thanks. You too, handsome." She shot him a wink, yielding a chuckle from the soldier.

Tim let his smile fade as he leaned forward, picking at the grass and looking over the city. "No, I mean it. I've met a lot of Arizona's girlfriends over the years and I think you're the first one I've actually liked."

Callie felt the ease of their typical bantering disappear as a serious tone filled his words. It caught her off guard, and she didn't really know how to respond. She had gotten comfortable with their normal back-and-forth, but this was new territory so she stayed silent.

"You're good for her… in a lot of ways, and I don't just mean like the cooking and the whole family thing with Sofia – who's great by the way. That kid is absolutely **adorable**…" Tim chuckled to himself then cleared his throat, getting back on track. "I just, I see how she is around you and with you, and she's never been like that with anyone before. It's like she moves around you." He looked at Callie with seriousness painted across his normally carefree face. "She looks to you first when she laughs, just to see if you think it's funny too." Tim sat back and looked up at the clouds. "She used to look at me first, but not anymore. And that? That's new."

Callie turned her head to look at Tim whose gaze was locked on the sky.

"I mean, that's how it's supposed to be. You're supposed to be her best friend… the one she thinks of first, it's good. Just…" He sat up and looked at Callie and his eyes narrowed as if he was trying to see every emotion to cross her face. "Are you in this?"

Callie didn't even hesitate. "Completely."

"Like, forever… _Entirely_ in this?"

"Definitely." Callie nodded her head. "Arizona and Sofia are my entire life now. They're everything… _she's _everything."

Tim paused and stared into her eyes before leaning back onto his elbows. "Good." Tim nodded. "That's good, because she wants to marry you." Callie's heart stopped. "And that isn't something she's ever even talked about." Tim cleared his throat. "She doesn't commit well... She bails. When times get hard, she bails."

Callie thought of every time that Arizona had the opportunity to bail in their relationship. Every single time, she had done the complete opposite. She had become even more devoted to her; it was something she had taken for granted but was now starting to realize how much it meant.

"So just don't get freaked out if she needs some time to think something through. She'll come back around, because she's definitely in love with you and she doesn't abandon the ones she loves."

Callie nodded. "She's a good man in a storm."

Tim nodded knowingly. "Exactly... That's exactly what she is."

Callie took a deep breath, hoping the seriousness of their conversation would dissipate just a little bit. "You know, Tim, you're a good brother… but Arizona is going to kill you for telling me she wants to marry me."

Tim laughed. "Yeah, whatever… it's pretty obvious you guys are gonna get married. So she can just get over it… someone needed to say it." He laid back into the grass with a chuckle. Callie snorted and shook her head before sitting up and stretching her legs again. "Just promise me something, Callie." She had just started to relax, thinking the serious talk was over. It seemed, though that Tim was determined to say just one more thing. "If something happens to me when I go back…"

Callie cut him off. "Hey. Don't even talk like that. You're coming back."

Tim took a deep breath. "It's a reality over there, Cal. I have to think like that or I might _not_ come back." Callie grunted and tore a huge chunk of grass out of the ground. "I promise I'll try to make it home safe, but if something happens…" He paused and Callie looked over her shoulder at him. "Promise me you'll make her remember how to be happy, because she'll forget." He paused to keep his emotions under control. "And you have to promise me you'll make her dance at your wedding, even if I'm not there to dance too."

Callie wiped a rebel tear that had broken away and was rolling down her cheek. She chuckled nervously and looked away.

"Can you do that for me?"

She nodded. Tim sat up and put his arm around her. She leaned into him and wiped another tear away. "Yeah, I can do that, but please don't make me."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze and looked over the city. "I'll try." He winked at her and motioned towards her leg. "How's it doin? You ready to get out of here?"

She looked down, having completely forgotten why they had stopped in the first place. "Oh! Yeah, it's good. Can we walk the rest of the way though?"

Tim stood up and reached down to help Callie up. "What, Torres? Too tired?" He jogged backwards away from her and turned to head down the trail at a sprint. He turned his head to yell behind him. "LAST ONE TO THE CAR BUYS THE COFFEE!"

Callie shook her head and jogged into a sprint, chasing after him; she had no intention of buying anyone's coffee.

* * *

Something was different when Callie and Tim got back from their run. She couldn't quite place it, but Arizona was sure of it. It wasn't like something was necessarily _wrong_, just different. They still joked around like they had all week, but there was something different about their glances towards each other. They held their eye contact just a fraction of a second longer, almost as if they were having their own internal conversation. She loved that they seemed to be getting closer, but it made her suspicious of what had caused the shift in their friendship.

She tried to reason through what could have happened as Callie repeatedly proclaimed her victory during their run and something about coffee that she didn't quite catch. Tim must have said something to her, but what did he say? She gave up trying to figure it out when Callie grabbed her by the waist and whispered in her ear that the last one to the shower had to give a strip tease. She had waited patiently the whole time they were gone to have her girlfriend alone and wet in the shower, and nothing was going to stop her from winning a strip tease too. It was one of her favorite parts about dating Callie… the way she moved those hips… Her mouth ran dry at the thought and she nearly knocked Tim over as she chased after Callie to the bathroom.

* * *

Callie beat her there, but hadn't completely undressed when Arizona ran in and shut the door. Arizona tackled the Latina and ripped off the rest of her clothes, grunting in frustration when she couldn't get her sports bra off right away. Callie's lips crashed against hers in a heated passion. It was one of the most intense kisses she had ever felt, and Arizona's body reacted immediately. It never failed to amaze her how Callie could ignite a fire within her very core with a single touch. Callie reached behind Arizona, snaking her hands under her shirt and unhooked her bra. "Your clothes." Arizona kissed her, interrupting her. "Get them off."

Arizona laughed into their kiss. "I thought you wanted…" Callie's lips met hers, swallowing her words. "A strip tease."

Callie tugged at Arizona's shirt, intent to get her girlfriend naked as quickly as possible. "Just get naked." Callie rocked her hips into Arizona's, who read the signal loud and clear and stripped herself of the rest of her clothes.

Arizona turned the water on and stepped inside, pulling Callie in behind her. She turned and moaned into Callie's mouth as their swollen lips met again. A probing tongue traced Arizona's bottom lip and she welcomed it with a deep moan. Callie's hands wandered all over Arizona's sides before landing exactly where she knew they would – on her ass. She smiled into the kiss as she grabbed a handful of Callie's raven hair. "Oh god, Arizona…" Callie moaned and spun them so Arizona's back was to the wall. The blonde was practically a pro wrestler when it came to gaining the advantage in bed, but Callie always seemed to win in the shower. She had to admit, she didn't exactly mind. Dominant Callie was hot as hell.

Callie's fingers slipped inside of Arizona cautiously. She rocked her hips and squeezed her eyes shut. "Mm… Calliope… yes" She rode Callie's pumping fingers slowly at first, but soon her body took control and she was begging for more. Callie kissed along her neck, down to her chest before taking a nipple in her mouth. She loved the way Callie flicked her nipple with her tongue… it was something the Latina had definitely mastered. It quickly sent her rocketing over the edge to oblivion. Callie's fingers continued pumping in and out, letting her ride her climax to completion.

Arizona kissed the beautiful full lips she loved so much as she came down from the heavens and traced her fingers across Callie's slit. She was already practically dripping and she could tell she was close. She grabbed the back of Callie's neck and fed her fingers through her hair, kissing her passionately as she pressed her hand against her center. Callie's hips rocked into the touch and she growled into the kiss. Her slender fingers finally separated her folds and slipped in. She instantly pressed against the spot she knew Callie needed her the most and sent her into a climax. Callie bucked against her fingers and had to break their kiss to try and catch her breath. She started panting as her body attempted to keep pace with Arizona's fingers which were pumping in an out of her wildly. "Ooohhh, god… Arizona…" Her muscles relaxed and she collapsed into Arizona's arms. She slowly pulled her fingers out and wrapped herself around Callie, holding her up. They kissed one more time, an unspoken thank you crossing between them.

Callie turned to grab her favorite shampoo and Arizona took the opportunity to press herself against Callie's back, just the way she knew she loved. Instead of leaning into the embrace though, she stiffened. It caught Arizona off guard, and she thought for a second maybe she was doing something wrong. She perched her chin on Callie's shoulder and brushed away the hair falling to her face.

"Calliope, is something wrong?"

Callie hesitated… Tim's words were still ringing through her head, and she was having a hard time processing all of them. Normally she would talk it through with Arizona; her constant, her rock, her everything. She more than anything wanted to talk about the promise she had made to Tim, but she just couldn't. She couldn't even face the idea of Tim dying again; her brain refused to even fully form the thought. Instead, she eased into the embrace that held her grounded to the Earth and tried to let her mind go silent. "I love you, Arizona." She closed her eyes and wrapped Arizona's arms tighter around her. "I just love you so much."

That was not exactly the answer that she was expecting. It didn't help to calm her nerves, and she knew that something was still just a little off, but she trusted that Callie would talk when she was ready. "I love you too, Calliope." She placed a single, soft kiss on her neck. "And you know I'm here if you need to talk." It was all she could think to say, and hoped it was all Callie needed to hear.

Callie turned around and looked into Arizona's eyes. Words were threatening to spill out; she wanted to talk to Arizona about everything… all of it, but she needed to work through them first. Suddenly her mind was racing; Tim dying rolled through her mind time after time and all she could see was Arizona crumbling. The woman she loved just absolutely falling apart and it broke her more than she had ever thought imaginable. It hadn't even happened, and she hoped to God it never would, but she knew that she couldn't let Arizona feel like that… ever. She needed to protect her from ever feeling so lost, just like she had done for her time and time again. She closed her eyes, begging the images to stop.

Arizona searched Callie's face for a clue of what was rolling through her mind. When she saw Callie's eyes squeeze shut, her arms were automatically around her. "Calliope? Come back to me… Calliope, what's wrong?"

Callie squeezed Arizona and tried to make her thoughts disappear so she could come back to the present. The world around her disappeared as the image of Arizona crying over the loss of her brother filled her thoughts. Just the _image_ of Arizona being hurt nearly immobilized her. She paused to breathe and shifted to hold Arizona even closer. Fear rolled through her as she realized how connected she was with Arizona now. Her whole life had changed; she had changed… when did that happen? Slowly, the image of Arizona crumbling fell away and the world around her came back into focus. She felt the water first. It stung her back and rolled down her legs. The walls of the shower slowly rebuilt themselves around her and she suddenly realized Arizona was talking.

"Calliope? You're scaring me. What's wrong?"

Callie leaned out of the embrace and saw worry etched across Arizona's brow. "I'm sorry… I…" Callie looked for the words but she couldn't even figure out how to tell Arizona about the realization she just had. For the first time in her entire life, she felt like she understood the cliché love. She understood what it was to hurt for someone else. She physically hurt when she even _thought_ about Arizona hurting. _Is this what love is supposed to be like? Is this what it's like for other people?_

Arizona reached up to touch Callie's face, trying to erase the lines of worry around her eyes. "Calliope, honey… Words. I need words. What's going on?"

In that simple gesture, Arizona suddenly wiped away every trace of anxiety running through her body and she decided that yes, this is **definitely** what love is like. With a single touch, she had cleared away the worst pain she had ever imagined. She only needed to look into Arizona's eyes to feel the flutter in her stomach and the beating of her heart. This was love, and she decided in that moment she could never, never let her go. She took Arizona's hands in her own as a smile spread across her face.

Arizona's lips twitched into a cautious smile, but her eyebrows rose in question.

"Arizona…" Callie felt the words building within her and her stomach flipped. Suddenly she felt the urgent need to get sick.

The blonde waited, a nervous smile spreading across her face as she watched joy fill Callie's eyes. Something big had just happened in that crazy mind of hers, but she knew if she wanted any chance to know what that was, she needed to just wait. She nodded slightly, urging her to keep going.

Callie's heart stopped as she let the words fall from her lips. "Marry me."

Arizona froze. She didn't know exactly what to expect, but that wasn't even in the realm of possibilities. "…What?"

Callie's smile grew as she grabbed Arizona's sides, bringing their hips together. "Marry me, Arizona."

The blonde laughed and she covered her mouth with her hands. There was no way that this was actually happening… There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that she wanted to be Callie's wife. Actually hearing Callie's voice saying those words, though made her soul sing. Her body suddenly felt like it was on fire and her heart started beating twice as fast. Tears spilled from her eyes, mixing with the water falling around them. She tried to form words of her own, but she couldn't. Her mind wasn't cooperating. All it was doing was repeating Callie's words over and over.

Callie laughed and went to wipe away the tears that were falling, but she realized how silly that was as water from the shower replaced the tears on her only momentarily dry cheek. They both chuckled and looked up at the shower head. Callie looked back to Arizona, who still had her hands covering her mouth. "So?"

Arizona looked into Callie's beautifully dark brown eyes and dropped her hands. She nodded frantically. "Yes… a million times yes. Calliope, yes, of course I'll marry you!"

Callie's smile grew to match Arizona's as her arms wrapped around her fiancée's waist. Their lips met and suddenly the walls to the bathroom disappeared again. This time though, Arizona was with her and she didn't care where they ended up; they were together and they would be together forever, none of the rest of it mattered.

* * *

So? What do you guys think? Did I do the proposal justice?


	21. Ch 21: Mothers Always Know

Chapter 21: Mothers Always Know

* * *

Callie dug through her dresser, trying to find the bra she wanted. She really needed to organize this monstrosity of a wardrobe… "So Arizona, when do you want to tell people?"

Arizona pulled up her jeans with a huff then paused, cocking her head in thought. "Uhm. Well, I _want_ to tell everyone like, right now. Just scream it at the top of my lungs!"

Callie laughed then pulled out the pink bra with a shout of victory. "Aha! Found it!"

Arizona laughed and shook her head. Callie was ridiculous, but she loved her. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Callie turned as she clasped the bra on with a raised eyebrow. "Crazy in love!"

Arizona rolled her eyes, but leaned in for a quick kiss. "I just… I don't know _what_ to tell them."

Callie's eyes went wide. "What do you mean what to tell them? We tell them that we…" She grabbed Arizona's hands. "Are getting _married_."

Arizona's lips erupted into a brilliant smile, dimples and all. "We're getting _married_!" The words still felt unfamiliar on her tongue, but she could say them all day long and she still wouldn't be used to it. Her smile faltered for a portion of a second. "But, Calliope… what are we going to tell people about the proposal?"

Callie's smile fell as she thought about the question. "Right…" She tossed ideas through her mind. "Well, I guess we can make something up?"

"I don't want to make something up. It was perfect. Everything about it was perfect."

Callie smiled and leaned in, pressing her lips against Arizona's, lingering to breathe her in. "It kind of was, wasn't it?" She smirked as Arizona laughed, pushing the Latina away from her.

"It was. But I don't think shower sex is really the best story to hand down to our children, and our children's children." She sauntered back to her dresser to finish getting dressed, not noticing her frozen fiancée.

Callie's heart stopped as soon as Arizona said the word 'children'. As in more than one child. She never expected Arizona to want more children than just Sofia… it wasn't exactly her dream, and she knew that. So, she hadn't even let the thought come to complete fruition in her brain because she knew as soon as she thought about having a baby with Arizona, she would never be able to let the dream go. Sofia was enough… She would always be enough. But she had said it. Children.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts to think about the present. She grabbed the sides of the dresser and took a deep breath. Arizona looked over with concern. "Calliope? You alright?"

Callie turned. "Of course. Yeah, I'm fine! I'm great! See?" She flashed an awkwardly large smile.

Arizona nodded slowly. "Okay…" She clearly did not believe her. Something just happened. What just happened?

Callie knew she wouldn't be able to convince her fiancée that she was fine… she could read her like a book. Usually, that was beneficial, but not when she was trying to hide from her. She wanted to talk about it anyways… and the look of concern on Arizona's face made her break. "It's just that you said **children**."

Arizona froze, her eyes locked on Callie's. _Crap. Did I really? Come on, Robbins. Rookie mistake… _She winced and wrapped her arm around herself. "Oh… yeah. Uhm. I didn't… It just slipped. I love Sofia! I do! I just…" She covered her face with her hand with a groan.

Callie stepped towards her and held her wrist, pulling her hand away from her face. "Arizona, if another baby, I want another baby. Because I can't live without you and our ten kids." She chuckled at the thought of mini-Arizonas rolling around on their wheelies through a huge house.

Arizona smiled. "You do?"

Callie nodded. "I do. I've always wanted a big family… I just figured you wouldn't want any more than just Sofia. But you're a great Mom, Arizona."

A smile fluttered across her face as Arizona's heart flipped on itself. She never thought she would be a good Mom. It was something she had never admitted to Callie, so to hear those words held even more weight. "Okay. Then we need a bigger place, because I can't live without you and our ten kids either."

Callie laughed and leaned in for a kiss.

Arizona paused to take in the moment, imagining crazy mini-Callies running around the house tackling each other. She smiled at the thought then turned to finish getting dressed. "So, seriously, Calliope. What are we going to tell people?"

Callie cocked her hip. "Well. We could go to dinner after your parents leave and then start wearing our necklaces around… tell people they're our engagement tokens and that I proposed at this overly romantic dinner?"

Arizona sat down on the bed with a sigh. "I don't know." She picked at the sheets by her side. "I just really love _our_ story, and I feel like that isn't us. That's not our story."

Callie sat down next to her and took her hand. "I know. I love our story too."

Arizona held the strong, tan hand that she loved more than anything, tracing circles along the back with her thumb. "I was going to propose, you know."

Callie looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

Arizona chuckled, still staring at their entwined hands. "Yeah, really." She looked up at Callie. "I had this whole thing planned for Thursday night actually."

Callie chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking. It bugged the hell out of Arizona when she did it, but it was a nervous habit she'd had since she was really little. "Well, now I want to know what you planned." She looked at Arizona's sad smile and instantly decided. "We should do it."

"Really?" Arizona's face lit up.

"Really. We'll both know that this is when it happened… that right there in that shower we agreed to become each other's wives." They both looked towards the bathroom. "But maybe we can exchange something on Thursday and that can be when we tell people."

Arizona threw her arms around Callie, sending her flying back onto the bed. "Calliope, you're a genius!"

Callie laughed and rolled so she was on top of Arizona. She took a second to appreciate the view of her fiancée underneath her before leaning down to kiss her.

"Would you hate me if I said I didn't really want rings, though?"

Callie rolled onto her elbow. "What? Like engagement rings?"

Arizona nodded. "Yeah. I want a wedding ring… but I just never really liked the idea of engagement rings. I don't want a ring until you're my wife and I'm yours."

Callie nodded, thinking it over before agreeing. "Okay. No rings!"

"I did like that idea of the necklaces though."

"Yeah, me too." Callie smiled warmly as she took Arizona's hands. "We. Are getting _married_."

The blonde smiled as she leaned in to kiss her fiancée. "We're getting married."

* * *

The second their bedroom door opened, Tim turned to smile and wink at Callie as if he knew what had just happened. "Hey! The girls have finally emerged!" He danced over to the kitchen to grab their plates that had been saved from breakfast and put them in the microwave. "We saved you some breakfast. You guys took **forever**." Callie laughed and walked over to pick up Sofia from the living room.

"Thanks for watching Sofi, Tim." Arizona kissed her brother's cheek as she reached around him to grab a glass of orange juice from the counter.

"Yeah, no problem. Mom and Dad went to go fill up the RV. They're talking about leaving early because there's a storm headed in and they don't want to get stuck in it." Tim watched Arizona's shoulders slump in disappointment. "But… I was thinking…" Callie joined Arizona at her side, wrapping her free arm around her waist. "If it's alright with you guys, maybe I could stick around a bit longer. I can report for duty from Seattle, I just have to make a few calls." Arizona flung her arms around his neck, crushing him with a hug.

"That would be **AWESOME**!" Arizona turned to Callie. "Calliope, can he stay!?"

Callie shook her head with a laugh. "Of course Tim can stay! Are you kidding me? That'd be great!"

The timer went off on the microwave, and Tim grabbed their food for them, putting it down on the table then grabbing Sofia from Callie so she could eat. "Very cool. Thanks, guys." He took the seat next to Callie. "For some reason I think your New Year's party is gonna be just a little better than Mom and Dad's." Arizona choked on her food trying not to laugh. Just then, the door opened and Mama Robbins and the Colonel stepped inside, hanging up their coats.

"It is so cold out there!" Barbara walked over to kiss Arizona's cheek, then Callie's. "How are you two doing? You missed breakfast." Arizona blushed a deep crimson and stared down at her food.

Callie cleared her throat. "Oh, sorry. That was my fault. I asked Arizona to help me massage out my calf. It cramped up on the run this morning." She looked to Tim for help.

He cleared his throat and stood up awkwardly. "Yeah, uhm. It did. On the run, her leg cramped."

_Smooth one, Robbins._ She glared at Tim and he just shrugged apologetically.

"Well girls, I think the bus is going to have to ship out here sooner than we thought. There's a storm coming in and the roads will only be clear for a few more hours." The Colonel poured fresh coffee into his "World's Best Pop" mug he'd gotten from Sofia for Christmas.

"I told them about that while you guys were filling up that beast. I think I'm gonna stay with them 'til I have to report." Tim walked over, putting the dishes in the sink.

"Oh, alright. Just make sure you call your C/O and clear it through him."

"Yeah, I know. I was just about to go give him a call actually."

"Well go get it done in case you have to go back with us. We want to be leaving here by 1400."

"Yes sir." Tim walked away, pulling out his cell phone.

"Do you guys really have to go?" Arizona pouted.

Barbara wrapped her arm around her. "We'll see each other again soon. This has been so much fun! I don't remember the last time we had such a fun Christmas."

"It was, wasn't it? I can't believe it's over already."

* * *

A few hours later, Tim had his clearance to report from Seattle, and Arizona's parents were gathering the last of their things into their RV. They said goodbye to Sofia and Tim, who stayed inside to watch his niece while the rest of the crew hauled their suitcases outside.

Arizona was having a really hard time saying goodbye this time. She wanted so badly to tell her mother that she was engaged, but she and Callie had agreed to not say anything yet. They would tell them as soon as their exchange happened. She gave her Dad a hug, taking in the smell of cigars and cologne from his jacket. She had become used to saying goodbye to her father after years in the military, and breathing in that comforting smell had become part of every goodbye. He used to leave a jacket for her so she could feel like he was still around whenever she missed him. She smiled in surprise when she looked over and watched Callie hugging her mother tears in their eyes and rolling down their faces.

She accepted the kiss on the cheek from her father and pulled in her mom as she watched Callie latch onto her father. They had become remarkably close over the last few days since they had their talk. He kissed her on the cheek and wiped away the tear rolling down her face. She chuckled nervously and he hugged her again before turning towards the RV. Her mom always cried when they said goodbye. But this time, she was laughing and crying. It was weird.

"Barb, I'm gonna get the RV started. Don't make these girls stand out in the cold too long!"

She squeezed her daughter tighter then grabbed her arms, holding her at arm's length. "Oh, honey! I am so happy for you!"

Arizona's face flushed with confusion. "What?"

"You let me know if you need help with the wedding, okay girls?" She looked to Callie who was standing a respectful distance away, trying to let them have their goodbye.

"With the what?! Mom! How did you know?" Barb kissed Arizona's cheek and hugged her again, then did the same with Callie.

"You're going to make such beautiful brides!" Barb clapped her hands together and turned to run onto the RV.

"MOM!" Arizona called after her, but the door closed behind her without a response.

Callie wrapped her arm around her very shocked fiancée's waist. The blonde turned to stare at Callie. "How did she know?!"

Callie shook her head. "I have absolutely **no** **idea**. Wave!" The blonde turned to watch the RV pull away and waved goodbye to her crazy and possibly psychic mother who was leaning out the window waving and crying like a mad woman.

* * *

**AN**: Hey everyone! So I have a few ways I want the rest of the story to go, so updates are going to be slower over the next few chapters... I'll probably end up writing several versions before I decide which way I want it to end.

Also! I have a one-shot up called Don't Fall (rated T), a prompt from the lovely ImSoCoolIPissIceCubes.

The prompt is: Callie is on a date with another woman at the Space Needle, but she locks eyes with Arizona across the room who is also on a date with another woman. Both of them completely forget their dates and steal glances at each other the remainder of the night. A couple of days later, they run into each other again at a coffee shop.

I had a ton of fun writing it, and honestly I'm pretty proud of it, so go check it out and tell all your friends! :]


	22. Ch 22: Truth

**AN**: I've written 7 more chapters in the last few days... and guys, they're intense. I've never cried while writing something before... and well. There were tears. Good tears? Sad tears? Some of both. Stay tuned.

Here's Chapter 22: Truth

* * *

They were climbing the stairs up to the apartment when Callie's pager echoed through the stairwell.

Callie looked down to see 911 flashing on the screen and groaned. "Looks like they need me again at the hospital..."

Arizona touched her arm, cooling the Latina's temper that was threatening to boil. "Go ahead. I'll explain to Tim."

Callie nodded, looking towards the exit of the stairwell. She leaned in to kiss her fiancée and muttered a thank you. "I'll call you as soon as I can!"

"Love you! Be careful!"

"Love you too!" The door to the stairwell slammed shut behind her.

Arizona entered their apartment and leaned against the door. She sent up a quick prayer to whoever was listening for Callie and her patient. It wasn't something she ever did until she treated Sofia and watched Callie pray over her every day. She wasn't entirely sure anyone was listening or that it was actually going to do anything, but she knew Callie would want her to. There was something oddly comforting, too about asking someone to watch over her love when she couldn't.

"Everything okay?" Tim crossed over to her, Sofia on his hip.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, they called Callie in for an emergency surgery."

"Oh, wow. I hope the patient's alright."

"If they aren't, they will be soon. She's amazing." Arizona smiled confidently then went to sit at the breakfast bar.

"What exactly does she do? I know she fixes bones and stuff, but like what does that mean?" Tim walked over to pull out a bottle of water, offering one to Arizona who nodded.

"She does things like hip replacements and knee replacements, but only in her own way. Her patients recover three times faster, and her stats are amazing. Oh! One time, she rebuilt a man's spine. It was insane… the whole hospital was talking about it. Another time, she reconstructed every single bone in both of a man's legs and his feet. He had never walked before in his entire life, and just last month he ran his first marathon. We both ran with him, it was incredible. She's incredible."

Tim chuckled and shook his head, exchanging a teasing glance with his sister.

"Oh, shut up. I know… I just can't help but brag about her. Seriously Tim, you should watch her work. She's amazing."

"Well, let's do it. I never got a tour of her surgical wing, or yours for that matter."

Arizona was contemplating when she got a call from Callie. "Oh, it's her. One second." She got up and walked towards their bedroom.

"Hey hon. How's your patient?"

"I have to get him in surgery; they're prepping him right now. I was just calling to tell you I probably won't be home in time for dinner." Something crashed in the background and Callie yelled at one of the interns. "Sorry. Oh, and also I love you."

"Well, I love you too. Tim was just asking if he could observe one of your surgeries. Is it okay if we come down to watch?"

"Yeah, of course. Hey sorry Arizona, I gotta go." Beeping interrupted their conversation, and Callie started barking orders.

"Okay, I love you! And Calliope?"

"Yeah?" Callie was starting to pant; Arizona could tell she was running towards the OR.

"Be nice to your interns."

Callie laughed. "Love you too. Bye, babe." She hit end and stuffed the cell in her pocket.

* * *

The siblings were standing at the front desk, signing Tim in as a guest when Teddy spotted them. "Arizona!"

The blonde turned and smiled when she saw her best friend running towards her. "Teddy!" She threw her arms around the surgeon. Tim's eyes grew wide and he stood, shocked. Finally, he cleared his throat and Arizona let go of her. "Oh! Teddy, this is my brother, Tim. Tim, this is Teddy! She's the attending cardiothoracic surgeon here."

Teddy extended her hand and offered a warm smile as Tim took her hand in his. "Arizona's told me so much about you, Tim! It's great to finally meet you. Are you here for the holidays?"

Arizona placed a hand on Tim's arm. "I'm going to go check in on some of my patients. Teddy, can you take Tim to the observation room of OR 3? We came to watch Callie's surgery."

Teddy nodded, and with that, Arizona rolled away towards her second home.

* * *

The surgery went perfectly, just the way Callie liked it. She was a bit nervous having Arizona and Tim in the observation room, but luckily the patient cooperated. She was able to rebuild his hand and hopefully with some physical therapy, he would have full function back in a few months.

Arizona tried to answer as many of Tim's questions as she could, but he had a lot of questions. She couldn't help but laugh at how intrigued he was the entire surgery. He never once took his eyes off of Callie and her patient. Teddy sat in for a few minutes before she was paged to her own surgery. Before she left though, Arizona couldn't help but notice the glances between her friend and her brother. She knew her brother better than she knew herself, and she could tell he was **very** interested. So, when he asked if they could invite her for dinner, she wasn't surprised.

They decided to have dinner at the apartment so that it would be easier to watch Sofia while they ate. Teddy arrived, bottle of wine in hand, just as Callie and Arizona finished cooking the main course. Callie had been giving Arizona lessons in the kitchen, and they had become quite the team. Tim was sitting on the living room floor with Sofia, and motioned for Teddy to join him after she set the wine down on the counter.

"Hey Teddy! How did your surgery go?" Arizona gave Callie a quick kiss, leaving her to finish the rest of the dinner.

"Well, he tried to die on me, but I got him back. He coded three times." Exhaustion leaked through her voice.

Tim bounced Sofia on his knee, making her squeal and laugh. "Damn! Three times! You've gotta be kidding." He handed the little girl to Arizona, who was more than happy to be in her arms.

"Three times is an average in my field… Cardio is hard work, and patients are constantly trying to die on you." Teddy sank back into the couch, leaning her head against the back.

Tim watched her, a new level of admiration filling him. He just couldn't believe how amazing this woman was. He walked over to the bar and opened the bottle of wine Teddy brought. "You want a glass?" Teddy nodded and laughed at the face Arizona was making at Sofia.

"Actually, Tim, you want to pour a glass for everyone? Dinner's just about ready." Callie pulled out three more glasses and set them on the counter.

* * *

Conversation carried easily, drifting from surgeries to Teddy's time in the military. As soon as the military was mentioned, the table split into two different conversations. Tim and Teddy were locked onto each other in their own little world. After dinner, Tim pulled Teddy towards the couch where they sat talking while Arizona walked Sofia around the apartment trying to get her to sleep. Callie finished the last of the dishes a few minutes later and took Sofia in her arms, carrying her towards the nursery. Arizona glanced to the couch and smiled at the couple before following Callie.

"Mind if I join you?" Arizona stuck her head into the room to find Callie humming and rocking in the rocking chair with Sofia on her chest.

Callie nodded and gestured to the chair next to her. Arizona tip-toed in and sat down, placing a hand on Sofia's back.

"She's beautiful," Arizona breathed as she gently rubbed her back. She looked up to Callie with a smile. "Just like her Mami." Callie smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her daughter's head.

Arizona sat back, watching them. She hated keeping things from Callie, but she had yet to tell her about Sofia's new name for her. She went back and forth on whether she wanted to say anything, but finally resolved to just spit it out. "She called me Mama."

Callie looked over to Arizona. "What?!" The sudden movement almost woke Sofia back up. She whispered, "When?!"

"She started a few weeks ago. I didn't know what to say or if I should tell you because I was still just your girlfriend. But, now… Now I really am going to be her Mama." She reached her hand out, placing it gently on the little girl's back.

Callie smiled. "Arizona, you're already her Mama. She decided that a long time ago." She continued rocking and sighed. "Mama… I like the sound of that."

The blonde smiled and kissed the top of Sofia's head. "Hear that, baby girl? I'm your Mama." Her heart fluttered and she wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. She still wasn't used to being so emotional; it was something new since she had stepped into the role of being a mother to this little girl.

Callie smiled and stood up, walking over to her crib. She placed their daughter down and pulled her blanket over her legs. "Good night, Sofia. Mami loves you." She brushed her thumb across her cheek and turned to leave the nursery. Arizona joined her, wrapping her arm around Callie's waist. "Sweet dreams, baby girl. Mama loves you too." She reached to the wall and turned the light off.

* * *

The couple walked back in to the living room hand in hand, and shot each other knowing glances when they heard soft whispers from the couch.

"**SO!**" Callie boomed, startling Teddy off of Tim's lap. She landed on the couch next to him with a bounce and looked straight to the floor. Tim coughed, and reached over, grabbing a pillow to place across his lap. "What do you guys want to do? Scrabble, movies…?"

Arizona took a seat on the recliner by the window. "Actually, hon, I was thinking we could just talk and maybe pull out some scotch? I'm all gamed out." She looked to Tim and Teddy who nodded.

"Scotch sounds great." Teddy coughed and brushed some hair behind her ear.

"Same. Mom and Dad are great, but if I have to play one more board game, I'm gonna lose it." Tim put his feet up on the coffee table, crossing his legs.

Callie grabbed the scotch and glasses from the cabinet and brought it over, pouring a glass for each of them. She threw a pillow on the ground in front of the recliner where Arizona was sitting and leaned back against the chair. The blonde took a sip of her drink and set it down next to her and started running her fingers through raven hair.

Tim took a large gulp and put his glass down. "So Torres, that was some pretty awesome work today. Arizona didn't know jack shit about what you were doing though. Couldn't answer any of my questions."

Callie choked on her drink as she stifled a laugh. "Thanks, Tim. What didn't you know, honey?" She twisted, looking up at Arizona.

"I don't even remember… he asked so many questions. Nerves aren't exactly my specialty… not that he would have even understood the answers if I knew them." She shot a glare towards Tim who just smirked and took another sip of his drink.

"Well, whatever you were doing, it was awesome." He motioned for Teddy to come closer. She took a long swig of her drink, finishing it off then adjusted to put her head down on his lap.

Callie turned briefly to look up to Arizona and they exchanged matching smirks.

Callie kept their drinks full, and around an hour and a half later, the bottle was almost gone and a game of Truth was in full swing. It started as Truth or Dare, but then they decided they didn't want to move so Dares were decommissioned. It slowly morphed into one person asking a question and everyone, including the one who asked, answering it.

"Okay, okay, okay…" Callie slurred as she reached to put her glass on the table. "I got one." She sat up, and placed her hands on the floor, trying to keep it from spinning. "Have you ever found a girl's G-Spot?"

Tim laughed. "Fuuuuuck no. I swear you make that shit up to make guys feel stupid."

The women all exchanged looks and keeled over, laughing. Teddy looked at him sympathetically before busting out laughing all over again. He sank into the couch with a huff. "Whatever. It doesn't exist."

Teddy placed a hand on his arm. "Yes. Yes it does." She lowered her voice so that Callie and Arizona couldn't hear. "I'll help you find it." She winked at him and he blushed.

Teddy laid back into the couch and took another sip of her drink. "Hell yeah, I've found it." She cocked her head to the side, thoughtfully. "But only on me. 'Cause I'm not a lady lover. No sirreee…" She slurred. "Not like you two." She waved sloppily between Arizona and Callie, who laughed in unison.

"Well, I think you can ask my Calliope the answer to that question." Arizona had joined Callie on the floor almost an hour ago. She was sitting between Callie's legs, leaning against her. She loved the feel of Callie's chest rising and falling against her back. She turned her head to hear Callie's answer.

"Yeah. Yeah, she's found it." Callie blushed, making Arizona laugh. The blonde leaned in to whisper in her ear, making her blush deeper.

"EW! Come on guys… seriously!?" Tim threw a pillow at them.

Callie looked back over to Teddy and Tim, who were now tangled together on the couch. "Hey guys this has been a lot of fun, but I have to go show my fiancée something. So, good night!"

Teddy shot up. "Wait… fiancée? When did that happen?"

Tim threw his arms in the air. "I knew it! I totally called that shit!"

Callie paused to explain but just shook her head and grabbed Arizona off the floor, dragging her to their bedroom without another word. Teddy looked at Tim questioningly. "Tell me now or I will kick your ass." Tim laughed and rolled them so he was on top of her. He paused, looking down into Teddy's eyes. He knew they were both drunk and that it probably wasn't a good decision, but he felt a connection with the woman immediately… it was a connection he didn't know how to explain; it was something he had never felt before. She smiled tentatively as his lips stayed suspended inches from her own. She knew he would be leaving soon; she had lived that life before. She knew how hard it would be to be apart from him if she let this go any farther, but her mind was clouded and all she could think about was kissing him. So she did.

Callie smirked as she heard crashes from the living room, ending only after the guest bedroom door slammed shut. She kissed down her fiancée's squirming body, determined to show her she knew the way to make her scream.


	23. Ch 23: Shooting Stars

Chapter 23: Shooting Stars

* * *

Arizona couldn't sleep. She had tried, but she had never been so excited for anything in her entire life. Tonight was the night she was going to propose to the love of her life, and she had everything planned perfectly. Teddy had the day off, so she was going to help her out by setting things up, and then was going to go over to help Tim watch Sofia. She had made sure at least five times the day before that both of their shifts at the hospital would be over by 6 o'clock. She really hoped she would have a busy day so that it would go by faster.

She finally gave up trying to sleep and kissed Callie's bare back softly before pulling a robe on and walking to Sofia's nursery. She heard the guest room's door click open and she peaked around the corner to watch her best friend tip-toe towards the front door. She smirked as Teddy stubbed her toe and silently had a screaming fit, threatening to kill the nightstand. She shook her head and walked in to find Sofia wide awake. "Good morning, baby girl!" Sofia smiled and laughed as Arizona scooped her up from her crib. She put her hand over the blonde's nose and patted her face. "Mama!" Arizona couldn't help the huge smile that spread across her lips. She attacked the little girl with kisses then set out to start her perfect day.

Callie was nervous. Scratch that; she was incredibly, out of this world, insanely nervous. Every minute that passed was another minute closer to seeing what the love of her life had spent so long planning as a proposal. She was told she had to be free no later than 7 p.m., because they had to be somewhere at exactly 7:28, and that was the only instructions besides to dress warm. Callie hated surprises when she knew about them. She couldn't help but feel like her reaction wouldn't be excited enough or that it wouldn't do the surprise justice. Since this was arguably the most important surprise of her life, she was even more nervous.

Finally, 6 o'clock rolled around, and she was able to take off from the hospital. She found Arizona already changed and waiting in the attending's lounge. The blonde had a permanent smile on her face and just watched as Callie changed into her jeans and sweater. She threw on her coat and reached out to grab Arizona's hand. "Are you ready to go get Sofia and drop her off with Tim?" The blonde nodded and they left to go collect their daughter.

"I'm going to need the keys to your Thunderbird," Arizona said with a smirk as she held her hand out for the keys. Callie groaned. "Really? Can't we take your car?" Arizona shook her head. "Nope, it won't be able to handle the drive like the T-bird." Callie groaned and handed her the keys. "Promise to take care of her?" Arizona nodded and giggled. "Yes, now come on, get in."

"Ughgh, fine…" Callie's voice trailed off as she walked around to the other side and got in. The blonde grabbed her hand and traced circles on it with her thumb as they drove on the interstate, headed towards the city. They passed the exit they took to all of their favorite restaurants, which Callie was sure was where they were going. She had decided the request to wear warm clothes was just a distraction. "Uhm, Arizona?" she said, but when she glanced over her love had a devilish grin. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" She said and merged into the fast lane. Callie couldn't help but smile. She watched as all of the scenarios she had planned in her head went flying by them. This really was going to be a surprise… Suddenly she was nothing but excited.

Arizona finally pulled off the highway in the middle of nowhere and started driving up an empty road. "If you're bringing me out here to rape and murder me, I'm afraid you'll be unsuccessful."

"Oh, why is that?"

"It won't be rape." Callie said with a low growl.

"Well, murder will do." She said with a chuckle. "But no, you know that's not what I'm taking you up here for." She paused and looked around, then pulled off onto a road leading up the side of the mountain. "Close your eyes."

Callie rolled her eyes. "Really, Arizona?"

"YES REALLY!" she yelled and reached over, putting her hand over the Latina's eyes.

"ARIZONA!" She yelled and pulled her hand off. "Focus on the road!" Callie sent a prayer up to the heavens and rolled her eyes. Arizona's laughter filled the car. Callie smiled; she loved her laugh. "I'll close my eyes! See?" She said, dramatically slamming her hand over her eyes.

"Good." The blonde said with a nod, content. She reached over to grab Callie's open hand again and entwined their fingers.

They drove for nearly ten minutes uphill the whole way before Arizona turned off of the road and shut the car off. "Keep your eyes closed."

"Ok…" she said hesitantly. _Where the hell are we?_ Arizona got out of the car and ran around to the other side. She opened Callie's door, grabbed her hand and led her out of the car. "Don't let me fall! I'm really clumsy when I can't see!" Callie yelled as her grip on Arizona's hand tightened.

"I'll catch you, babe."

Arizona stopped the Latina, turning her slightly then walked behind her and pressed her body against hers. Callie sank into familiar arms and smiled as she felt Arizona's hands come around and lift her hands from her eyes. "Okay, open!" She whispered, laying her head on her shoulder.

They could see the whole city from where they stood. There was darkness for a few hundred yards, but then the lights of the city lit the ground like stars. Callie gasped as she glanced towards the sky. Never in her entire life had she seen so many stars. "Oh, Arizona…" She muttered.

The blonde chuckled and kissed her neck. Callie leaned into her as Arizona wrapped her arms tighter around her waist. Arizona looked up and pointed. "Do you see that? That's the big dipper… Oh! And there's the North Star! There's Mars… and Venus!" Callie followed along as Arizona pointed more constellations out in the sky. "I used to go star gazing all the time with my family. It was the one thing we could do no matter where we moved. When My Dad was deployed, he'd always tell my Mom to look up at the sky and he'd be looking too. I used to think about how magical that was; that somewhere in the world, the love of my life could be waiting for me and watching the same sky."

Arizona paused. "I've never taken anyone else stargazing before, but I wanted to share this with you." Callie turned and looked into her eyes. She pressed her full lips firmly against the blonde's, passion overtaking them. She parted her lips, letting their tongues dance. Callie moaned loudly as her hands roamed, tangling in blonde hair. Arizona moaned into Callie's mouth and then pulled away suddenly. "Wait."

"Wait? What do you mean wait?" She said panting, bringing Arizona back in for another kiss.

"No, really. Wait. I came out here to show you…" She paused and then pointed to the sky. Callie turned around and looked up to where she was pointing. "That."

Stars started shooting across the sky. First there was just a few but then the whole sky lit up with shooting stars. Arizona gripped Callie tightly from behind with a smile. It was perfect timing. "If you counted each of these stars, you still wouldn't get to how many times I've wished I could hold you in my arms like I am now. Each one represents how many times a day I wish it was possible to show you how much I love you and how much you and Sofia mean to me. I wanted you to see this and remember this, because you are the love of my life, and just once, I wanted to know that I was watching the same sky with the woman of my dreams."

Arizona paused to catch her breath. "They're beautiful, but they will never compare to how beautiful you are. It feels like there's a million of them, but they will never compare to the number of mornings I want to wake up in your arms." Tears slid down Callie's face and she turned around to face Arizona. She was crying too and they laughed at themselves.

"Arizona." She said before taking her hands in her own. "I love you." Callie sniffed as tears poured down both of their faces.

Arizona reached up and kissed Callie tenderly, shooting them into the heavens with the stars that were shooting across the sky. They met in their own universe, colors exploding around them like fireworks. They broke from each other's grasp and Arizona's lips grew into a hesitant smile.

Callie's heart stopped beating as she realized this was the moment.

She reached into her pocket, pulling out the matching necklaces. "Dr. Calliope Iphegenia Torres, will you spend the rest of your life with me as my wife?"

Callie nodded as tears streamed down her face. She knew what Arizona was going to ask her, but she couldn't have prepared herself to hear the words actually come spilling across her lips. "Of course, Arizona." She wrapped her arms around Arizona's neck and she laughed through her tears before kissing her with a passion to rival that of their first kiss. She kissed her three times quickly in a row and then laughed as she took the necklace from Arizona's mitten and put it on. She took the other necklace and motioned for Arizona to turn around. She draped it across her chest and closed the clasp behind her neck before laying a gentle kiss below her ear.

Arizona turned and grabbed Callie's hand, leading her to the car. She pulled out a basket that had a blanket and two bottles of wine.

Callie smiled. "I thought you hated camping."

"I do. We're not spending the night; I just thought we could get a little more comfortable."

Callie's eyebrow arched as she pulled the blonde against her. "I like the sound of that."

Arizona smirked and leaned into the embrace. "Good. I planned it that way."

They laid out the blanket and watched the rest of the meteor shower laying in each other's arms. Arizona's head was on Callie's chest, whose fingers were running through her perfect blonde hair. Arizona closed her eyes, feeling her fiancée's heart beat and the rise and fall of her chest.

"Where are we anyways?" The rumble of Callie's voice awoke the blonde from her thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, we're on Derek Shepherd's land. I talked to him a few weeks ago about doing this, and he loved it. He's living with Meredith now, so we have it all to ourselves."

Callie's hands wandered down to Arizona's back, tracing letters along the way.

Arizona shifted to look up into Callie's eyes. "Are you writing something?"

Callie chuckled. "Just working on my vows."

Arizona smiled and put her head back down on her chest. Suddenly, a rush of wind flew across them, making them shiver and grab onto each other. "You ready for the next part?"

Callie's eyebrow rose. "There's more?"

Arizona nodded as a smile crept across her face and she stood up, pulling the Latina up with her. They collected all of their stuff, putting it back in the basket in the back of the car. They kicked the heat on high as they rolled down the hill.

* * *

They pulled up to a trailer with Christmas lights still strung across the top. Callie looked to Arizona with a shocked expression.

"Shepherd's trailer…?" She looked past the blonde to take in the full sight.

Arizona nodded and jumped out of the car. Callie joined her, standing by her side. She had never been inside, but she couldn't imagine that it was very cozy. It looked broken down and beat up from the outside.

Arizona pulled her towards the door, swinging it open dramatically.

Callie gasped as she took in the sight of the trailer. There were candles set up all over, a tray of fruit and body chocolate at the kitchen bar, and there was lingerie strewn across the bed which was decorated with rose petals. "I had Teddy set it up for us while we were up at the top."

Callie looked to Arizona briefly before glancing back around the trailer.

Arizona shut the door. "Do you like it?"

Callie dropped her bag and looked into Arizona's eyes. "Arizona, I love it. It's perfect."

Arizona smiled before taking a step towards her fiancée. She took her mittens off and threw them next to Callie's bag before closing the gap between them. She pulled on Callie's jacket zipper and bit her lip. "Good, because Teddy is long gone. Which means it's just you and me in the middle of nowhere… Sofia is taken care of for the night, and I want to celebrate."

Callie's brow arched and she smirked mischievously. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to make love to Arizona without hoping someone wouldn't hear; whether it was Sofia, Tim, her parents, or other surgeons… someone was always around. Except tonight; tonight it was just them and they could be as loud as they wanted.


	24. Ch 24: New Year's Eve

Chapter 24: New Year's Eve

* * *

News of their engagement spread quickly through the gossip network that is Seattle Grace Mercy West. They weren't expecting it to take very long after they stumbled in to their apartment early the next morning to find Tim passed out on the floor and Teddy asleep on the couch with a slumbering Sofia on her chest. Teddy was the first to notice the importance of their necklaces, and absolutely loved the idea. She texted Owen about it immediately, who was with Cristina who had to tell Meredith, and well, the rest is history. They decided to celebrate with all of their friends on New Year's Eve since it was only two days away.

By 11 o'clock, everyone had arrived and most everyone was at least tipsy. Their guests had each brought at least two bottles of liquor; Cristina had brought an entire case of tequila, which was almost gone between her and Meredith alone. Teddy introduced Tim as her boyfriend to Owen, which caught glances from everyone within earshot. Mark brought Lexie as his official date, which also caused some glances. It had been a while since Mark had an official girlfriend. It had been a rough start for the two of them, but they were settling into what Mark had assured Callie was his forever. Bailey even came with her new beau, Eli. Callie could not be happier; drunk Bailey meant a party for sure. Karev was leaning against the wall with one of the new interns, beer in hand, pointing at random people. Music blared, making it hard for the conversation Derek was having with Arizona about one of their mutual patients to flow easily. Eventually, they gave up and Arizona went to find Callie by the door. More people filtered past, dumping their keys in the basket she was holding as they entered.

"Hey, babe. How's it goin?" Arizona wrapped her arm around Callie's waist, bringing her in for a swift kiss.

Callie moaned into the kiss and smiled. "This is fun!" Callie shouted over the music.

Arizona nodded and swayed her hips to the beat. Callie took the hint, and followed her to the center of the room where people had congregated for dancing. The music kept playing, and they kept dancing until it was almost midnight. Mark stepped over to the stereo and turned it off. The crowd stopped and turned to find out what had happened as he raised his hands up.

"Hey everyone! Can I have your attention for a minute?!" The crowd hushed and waited. "Thanks! It's almost midnight, so I wanted to go ahead and say something before we turn the TV on to watch the countdown. Where's Callie and Arizona?" He poked his head around looking for the couple. The crowd parted, hooting and hollering at the women as Callie raised her hand and gave a shout, followed by laughter. "There they are! Two of the most beautiful women in the room besides my Lex over there!" He winked at Lexie, who blushed and winked back. "You two make fairy tales seem real, and I don't know how you do it. Congratulations, you're finally engaged!" The crowd erupted into shouts and applause. Callie pulled Arizona tighter against her, and the blonde leaned in to kiss her, yielding more shouts and whistles. "Alright! Now let's get the countdown started!"

Someone turned the TV on and everyone shuffled around it. Liquor bottles were passed around, everyone taking swigs as they found the right channel. They finally found it just as '10' flashed across the screen. The room erupted into a giant countdown, getting louder as they went. "3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Callie pulled Arizona in for a kiss. Their lips met in that other universe. They weren't in the room full of their friends any longer. They were with the stars. Callie dipped Arizona, holding her firmly in her arms, and letting her beautiful blonde hair cascade across her tan skin. She smiled as their lips parted. "Happy New Year, Arizona. I love you." Arizona kissed her quickly. "Happy New Year, Calliope. I love you, too."

Callie pulled her back up and hugged her. She breathed in, taking in the smell of the woman she was going to spend the rest of her years with. Arizona tightened her grip around Callie's neck, never wanting to let go. She squeezed her eyes shut and wished that time would stop. Then she realized that these were the arms she would find herself in every day for the rest of her life and she suddenly couldn't wait for time to fast forward.

She saw her future and it wasn't just her anymore, she saw her arms holding her Calliope and their babies, then Calliope holding her as they wished each of their children goodbye as they started college and their own lives; she saw them sitting on the porch of the old folks home, rocking in those ridiculous rocking chairs, holding her Calliope's hand and talking about their grandchildren. Her future was as beautiful as the woman in her arms and suddenly, the future didn't scare her anymore. She broke the embrace to look into the eyes she was going to look into for the rest of her life and smiled. Callie smiled back and kissed her quickly before whispering in her ear. "Check out your brother and Teddy."

Arizona turned and gasped. Tim had dipped Teddy down for their New Year's kiss, but now Teddy had him pinned against the wall. She laughed and looked around the rest of the room. Every person in the room had paired off for their New Year's kiss; even their single friends had somehow managed to steal each other for a kiss. She blushed as she realized she was surrounded by people making out. She turned to face Callie. "Are we the boring married couple now?"

Callie scoffed. "Excuse me?! We are not boring!" She leaned in, sloppily kissing her fiancée. Her tongue shoved into her mouth, yielding a squeak of surprise from the blonde. She felt hands reach around and grab her ass. Callie lifted her up, and smirked as the blonde easily wrapped her legs around her waist. She carried her to their bedroom and kicked the door open. She dropped Arizona to the ground when she saw Mark and Lexie already on their bed. "MARK! WHAT THE HELL!?" Lexie jumped and fumbled to find her shirt.

"Sorry, Cal! I just… we just…" Mark shielded Lexie as she pulled her shirt on over her head.

"YOU LIVE RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL!" Callie was fuming. Arizona covered her mouth so she wouldn't laugh.

"Sorry, guys…" Lexie mumbled and scurried out of the room, pulling Mark with her as he ducked when Callie smacked him.

Spanish flew out of her mouth as she slammed the door behind them and her hand clung to her hair. She flung her arms in exclamation and started pacing. Arizona huffed, used to the routine, and reached out to hold Callie still. She looked into her eyes and nodded until brown eyes met hers and locked on, effectively silencing her.

"There you are. Welcome back, mi amor." Arizona smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind Callie's ear. "Calliope, let it go. I really want you right now."

Callie sucked in a breath and let it go with a deep sigh. "God, I love you."

Arizona smirked then looked to the bed. "We're gonna have to change these sheets…"

Callie looked over her shoulder and nodded, "I can't believe him sometimes."

Arizona went to strip the bed. "You go tell everyone to leave. I don't want them here anymore."

Callie laughed. "Yes ma'am." She saluted with a wink and stepped into the living room. Well, what she thought was her living room; apparently it was a brothel. There were bodies being flung from wall to wall as passionate kisses had turned heated from practically every couple. Her eyes flared open as she realized just how much alcohol must have been consumed by her friends that evening. Tim and Teddy were among the missing, but the sock tied to the guest room's door answered that question. Mark and Lexie had left the door open on their way across the hall, but nearly every other couple was still in their living room in varying amounts of dishevelment.

Callie whistled loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone! Party's over! EVERYBODY OUT!" Callie's voice boomed across the room and people started gathering their things. She made everyone pass a quick sobriety check before handing them their keys. Several of the interns she had to call a cab for, but all of the other couples had done well to keep their DD sober. Once everyone was gone, she shouted into Tim's room. "Make good choices!" She laughed as she heard a pillow fly into the door. She stopped in to Sofia's room to see her daughter sound asleep. She blew her a kiss and thanked the heavens that she hadn't been woken up by their party.

* * *

She opened the door to her bedroom and immediately her breath was stolen away. Arizona laid on a newly made bed in absolutely nothing. Her mouth hung wide open as her eyes grazed across every inch of exposed skin.

Arizona's heart raced as Callie's eyes finally raked across her. She had been waiting nervously as she heard Callie usher everybody out of their apartment, hoping no one would accidentally walk in on her naked. She had been holding a pillow over her just in case until she was sure the apartment was empty. She felt her cheeks redden as Callie's eyes continued to linger across her chest. She shifted to sit up farther yielding a low growl from her fiancée.

Callie shut the door quietly behind her, never taking her eyes off of Arizona. She pulled her shirt off, kicked off her jeans, stripped herself of her underwear, and unhooked her bra, throwing it to the side. She crawled onto the bed, perching herself on top of Arizona. Their lips met, each pushing and moving against the other. Arizona's tongue slipped inside of Callie's mouth and their tongues danced. Arizona's nails dragged across Callie's back and her hips rose, meeting the tan hips of her fiancée. They rocked into each other, moans echoing through their mouths.

Arizona felt her center nearly dripping and moaned, biting Callie's lower lip as she pulled out of their kiss. "Calliope, I need you…" She rocked into Callie, who immediately lowered her lips to take Arizona's nipple in her mouth. She suckled, yielding a deep moan when she bit down gently. Arizona ran her fingers through Callie's raven hair, pushing her farther down. Callie kissed a trail down to her pelvis. Arizona moaned and rocked into the touch of Callie's hair draping across her thighs.

Callie felt the heat from Arizona before she even touched her. She could smell her arousal, and she felt her muscles clench in response. She growled and nipped at Arizona's thighs. The blonde bucked beneath her. "Please, Calliope…" The blonde squeezed her eyes shut and she grabbed the fresh sheets as a bead of sweat rolled across her hair line. Callie watched her face, mesmerized at the pleasure etched across her brow. Her tongue swiped across her clit, circling before her lips surrounded it and started to suckle.

"OOohhhh…. fuck. Yes!" Arizona moaned as her hips bucked into Callie's touch, begging for more.

Callie was quick to respond, and easily slipped two fingers inside of her. She was always so tight around her, but she was more open to her tonight than she had ever felt. She slipped a third finger in and had to fight her own climax at the sound Arizona made. She hummed as she continued to suck on Arizona's clit and her fingers pumped in and out of her.

Arizona's back arched as she felt her body respond to Callie's humming. She had never done it before, and the thought brushed past her to ask why when Callie's teeth grazed the tip of her swollen clit. She bucked against her and moaned loudly, bordering on a scream. "Oh! OHHH!" Arizona's toes curled and her legs closed around Callie's head as an orgasm came tearing through her body. Callie continued pumping quickly in and out of her and she released her lips from Arizona's clit. She flicked it once with her tongue, sending the blonde into a stronger orgasm. She watched in amazement as the blonde screamed and her knuckles went white with her grip on the sheets. She slowed her pace and let the blonde come down from her high.

She crept alongside her and watched her chest rise and fall. She draped her hand across her stomach and waited.

Arizona had never had such an intense orgasm in her entire life. Callie had rocked her world before, but this was beyond that in every capacity. She couldn't form thoughts or words. She had to focus on breathing. Her head was rushing, and all she could think to do was smile.

Finally, she remembered how to talk and she turned her head to find Callie's eyes watching her, almost concerned. She reached over to lay a hand on her cheek. "Give me just a minute," She stopped to catch her breath, "and then I am going to thank you for that." She looked over to Callie again and moved to kiss her. "Because that was amazing."

Callie smirked and traced circles on Arizona's stomach with her thumb. "Not to rush you, but I'm having a hard time controlling myself after watching you just now…" Callie slipped her hand lower to rub her clit. She needed something. Now. Arizona grabbed her arm to stop her. "I'm so close, Arizona. I've never been so turned on just watching you before."

The blonde chuckled and shifted so that she was on top of Callie. "Oh? Tell me more…" She leaned down to kiss Callie and ran her hand down Callie's side before raking her nails up and cupping her breast.

"You're so fucking hot, Arizona… I love the way you squirm under me." Callie moaned as Arizona found her nipple, squeezing it between her fingers.

"You're the one squirming, Calliope." Arizona massaged her breast. "You have amazing boobs… have I told you that?" Arizona smirked as she closed her lips around her nipple.

Callie laughed. "Not today I don't think. Oh god, yes, don't stop."

Arizona bit down gently and moaned as Callie's hips met her own. She reached down to cup Callie's center and gasped when she felt how wet she was.

"Oh, fuck, Arizona… please. I need you." Callie's eyes squeezed shut.

Arizona slipped two fingers inside and Callie's body immediately responded. She pumped in and out of her and Callie's hips bucked, taking her farther and farther in. Callie growled as she shot her head back. Arizona leaned down to kiss her exposed neck. She found the spot where her neck met her collar bone and bit down roughly.

Callie's body instantly climaxed, drawing Arizona's fingers in with every pulse. Arizona's breath caught as she realized how quickly Callie had come to climax. She hadn't realized Callie was honestly that close. She pumped quicker and harder, slamming her fingers inside of her.

Callie moaned and her body started to shake. "Ooohhhh…." her words were swallowed by a strangled scream as Arizona curled her fingers, stroking her g-spot.

"Fffuuuu—…" Callie's hips shot up, her back arching. Arizona continued to stroke her and move her fingers in and out. She slowed her movements as Callie's body tensed underneath her. She barely moved her fingers, and shocks were sent through Callie's body. Arizona paused, not sure what to do. She knew if she moved, it would be borderline painful with how sensitive Callie's body would be, so she left her fingers inside of her. She watched for Callie's face to relax and her muscles to release. She slowly drew her fingers out and rubbed Callie's center with her palm, desensitizing her. She watched in awe as the Latina collapsed onto the bed and passed out.

Arizona watched to make sure she was still breathing, something she was honestly worried about. She had never seen Callie climax that quickly or that hard, and she wasn't responding. She draped her arm across her stomach and laid her head on her chest to listen to her heart. It was beating faster than normal, but it was strong, so she waited.

Finally, Callie's vision came back to her and her surroundings came swirling back into place. She couldn't tell what direction was up. She groaned and shifted, trying to breathe. Arizona lifted her head and looked down to wait for Callie's eyes to open.

Callie lifted one eyelid to see beautiful blue eyes looking down at her. She closed her eyes and smiled as a soft kiss landed on her swollen lips.

"Mm, what happened?"

Arizona chuckled. "You passed out."

Callie opened one eye. "Seriously?"

The blonde nodded, biting her lip. "You literally passed out, Calliope. I've never seen that actually happen before."

Callie moved to wrap her arm around Arizona, pulling her flush against her body. "The things you do to me…"

Arizona laughed and moved into her embrace. "Happy New Year, Calliope."

"Hm? Yeah, Happy New Yea…" Callie's voice faded as she drifted off to sleep.


	25. Ch 25: Goodbye

**AN**: This is the chapter that broke me. I grew up a Navy brat, so writing this hit a little too close to home.

Chapter 25: Goodbye

* * *

The next two days passed by without anyone realizing it, and sooner than they expected, Tim was packing to leave. Teddy had called in sick to the hospital both days so that she could spend every minute that she possibly could by his side. She had sworn to never fall for a man in the military after she retired, but somehow Timothy Robbins had completely stolen her heart. They had talked and decided they had to see if they could make a relationship work; they both had become each other's everything in just a few short days. He was hoping to be able to transfer to Fort Lewis after his deployment so he could be closer to Seattle, but he'd assured her they'd figure it out. So, she sat on his bed, begging herself not to cry as she watched the man who held her heart pack his bags to go to war.

Arizona sat on their bed, blowing her nose. Her body was aching. Her eyes stung with hot, fresh tears that continued to fall down her make-up smeared face. A weight hung heavy in the pit of her stomach that made even breathing difficult. She was being held together only by Callie's arms, tracing circles on her back. Callie wished she could make all the pain vanish; but the reality was that it had to happen and there was nothing she could do to stop it from hurting. She could distract her, maybe dull the pain. She leaned in to kiss the top of the blonde's head, letting her lips linger along her hairline. She placed her cheek gently on her head and brushed away stray strands of hair that had plastered themselves to the blonde's damp face. She whispered gently, using the same voice she used for Sofia's nightmares. "He'll be back in a few months; just in time for our wedding."

Arizona smiled weakly thinking about their wedding and threw another tissue into the trash. "I know. I'm just scared… what if he doesn't come back, Callie?" Her voice was weak, and it broke as a tear rolled down her cheek. The emptiness she felt when thinking of her wedding day without Tim there to see it was indescribable. Suddenly what should be the happiest day of her life was her biggest fear. "What if he can't be there? What if he misses all of it?" She couldn't handle it; sobs overtook her as she envisioned their ceremony without her brother. Her vision went black as the feeling of what could only be described as darkness overcame her. Suddenly, Callie drew her in, placing soft kisses on her head as she held her against her chest. Arizona clung to her, the only light she could see.

Callie had never seen the blonde so completely devastated. She reached out trying to pull her out from whatever dark thoughts were clouding her love. This wasn't Arizona; she wanted her Arizona back, so she did the only thing she could think to do. "I promise you, he will come back and I promise you he won't miss anything."

Arizona grabbed another tissue, wiping the tears from her face. "You can't promise that though, Calliope! You don't know that!"

Callie knew she was right, but right now the only thing she could offer was the hope that it was true. "Yes I do know that, Arizona! I promise you, he will live through this, and so will you." She lifted Arizona's chin, searching her eyes. They were starting to show a glimpse of the eyes she knew so well and loved so much. "You know how I know?"

Arizona's nerves started to calm, but only slightly. The weight in the pit of her stomach was starting to roll, and suddenly she felt like she needed to puke. She wanted to believe Callie; she wanted to believe Tim would come back safe… but something about this goodbye felt so entirely foreign that it terrified her. She needed that hope though. She sniffed, wiping a tear away from her eyes. "How?"

"Because I say so. That's how." Arizona's eyes searched Callie's until she found what she was looking for. In the very corner of her eye, there was a glimmer of what she needed. It was the honest belief that she had the ability to know Tim was going to be alright. She locked onto it and decided that if the love of her life had even the slightest hope that she would hold on to that. She might not have that hope yet, but the most important person in her life, her Calliope, did and that was enough. Her heart finally started working again, but her stomach was still spinning. She threw her arms around Callie, throwing them both off balance. The Latina fell backwards, but sank into the embrace. She felt Arizona latching on to her as her source of strength. It was a subtle but powerful shift. She tightened her arms around the blonde, wishing she could honestly protect her from the horrors of the world, even if for just a minute.

They held each other until the blonde's grip loosened. She sat back on their bed and grabbed another tissue, dabbing at her eyes. Her voice cracked. "I hope you're right."

Callie smirked. "I'm Dr. Calliope Torres, I'm always right!"

Arizona laughed, suddenly feeling absolutely ridiculous. She looked around at all of the tissues, immediately deciding to avoid all mirrors for the rest of eternity; she had to look as rough as she felt. She found Callie's worried eyes and reached for her hand. As soon as their fingers entwined, the weight in the pit of her stomach disappeared. She still felt as though all of the anxiety and worry about her brother was crawling along her skin, but a part of her was grounded, and it was all because she actually believed in the insane notion that the love of her life could stop every single bad thing the world could throw at them. "I love you." For the first time all day, her voice didn't shake.

Callie kissed the top of Arizona's hand and held it to her chest. "I love you, too."

* * *

They walked up to the gate, Callie's arm firmly around Arizona's waist, holding her strongly in place. Arizona had asked her to make sure she wouldn't make a scene, which right now seemed very likely. She had finally gotten her emotions under control, but actually seeing the plane was making everything too real. Her grip tightened on Callie's hand. She wasn't ready for this.

Teddy leaned in to Tim's embrace, not wanting to let go. She had said goodbye so many times before just like this, except she had always been the one in uniform. It was different from the other side, and she didn't like it. She leaned back to look him in the eye. "Promise me you won't be a hero."

Tim chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. "Promise." He took a deep breath. He hated making speeches, but for some reason he had been making a lot of them this time. "Teddy, I want you to know that I have never been so happy in my entire life. Meeting you has changed… well, everything." He looked into her eyes as tears filled his own crisp baby blues. "I promise I will come home to you. I love you baby."

Her heart fluttered. It was the first time he had said that he loved her, and she silently cursed him for it as the tears finally broke and started streaming down her face. "Damn it, Robbins… I told you not to make me cry." He laughed and wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry. Don't cry!" He kissed her again and grabbed her sides, tickling them.

She broke into an awkward crying/laughing combination and pressed her forehead against his. "I love you, too. So don't you dare die out there, or I'll kick your ass." She kissed him again and gave him another hug before stepping back and holding her sides. She wiped away the stray tears that still fell as she watched him turn towards Callie and Arizona.

He held out his arms to his sister who shook her head. She wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not yet. He locked eyes with Callie who turned to Arizona. She had been holding her grounded the entire walk to the gate, and she knew that as soon as she broke contact, Arizona's mind would take over; she had to make this quick. She gave her a final squeeze before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around her future brother-in-law. They had had their conversation already, so silent words flowed through them as they embraced. She was prepared for this, and she mustered up her best doctor professionalism to get through their goodbye without a single tear. She needed to be strong for Arizona. When they pulled away he saw the strength she was emanating and a huge smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Callie. I knew I could count on you."

She smiled back and gave his arm a squeeze. "Take care of yourself, and call or Skype or whatever as much as you can, okay?"

He nodded and leaned back in for another hug. He whispered quietly in her ear, "Take care of our girl. Even if I don't come back, you take care of her."

She tightened her grip on him and pulled away, locking eyes with him briefly and nodded. They turned to find Arizona staring at the floor, rubbing her arm nervously. Tears were streaming down her face and falling down to the ground.

"Oh, Arizona…" Tim stepped forward and took her in his arms. "This isn't goodbye, okay little sister? Hey, look at me." Her eyes flickered up as she sniffed, trying to keep herself together. As soon as Callie let her go, her mind had taken over and it didn't help that she couldn't get the nagging feeling to go away that something about this goodbye was different. "This isn't goodbye. I _will_ see you again, I promise. And in just a few months you'll be getting married, and I'll be…?" He looked at her expectantly.

She wished she could get this feeling to disappear. She didn't even feel physically present for this goodbye; she needed to remember this. She needed to fill her senses with every feeling that was her last moment with her brother, but she couldn't get her mind to stop. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind and to focus on Tim and his words. She thought about the wedding and she forced the image of Tim dancing into the background. She shifted her weight and wiped her face with a nervous chuckle. "You'll be dancing."

"That's right. Like a mad man." He wrapped his arms around her as the final boarding call was announced. "I love you. If you need anything at all, you tell Callie. She'll take care of you." She closed her eyes and held onto him, tugging on his uniform. She inhaled deeply, trying to memorize the scent that was uniquely him, just like she used to with her Dad. He kissed the top of her head. "I'll call you tonight when I get in to Dulles before my plane takes off for Asscrackistan."

Arizona laughed against his shoulder and rolled her eyes. "I love you."

He held her close, placing his chin on the top of her head. "I'll Skype with you and call you as much as I can, I promise."

Arizona felt him pull away and suddenly she panicked. Her grip tightened on his uniform. "No! Don't go!" The weight was dropped like a freight train back into the pit of her stomach, and her knees gave out.

Tim looked to Callie for help. She immediately went to her side and wrapped her arms around Arizona. "Arizona, honey, he has to leave… his plane's about to take off."

"No!" Arizona couldn't stop her world from spinning. Something was wrong. Something was different. He had to stay. Her body felt like she was being smothered, and she couldn't breathe.

Tim gave her a final squeeze as Callie gripped her wrists and pulled her off of her brother. Teddy was there in an instant, her arm around her best friend. "No, Tim! You can't go! **SOMETHING'S WRONG**!" Arizona reached for him, but Callie's arms wrapped around her.

"Arizona, honey, he has to go. It's okay." Callie kissed the top of her head and held her as Tim grabbed his bags and waved to them, boarding his flight. Just as the final call was given, she saw another soldier run up beside him. She couldn't see his face, but for an instant she thought she recognized him. She watched as Tim greeted him, patting him on the back. She gave a sigh of relief, realizing he wasn't alone.

"But something's wrong…" Arizona's tears took over her voice and she wrapped her face in Callie's embrace. Her knees gave out and suddenly she was on the ground. Callie knelt beside her, holding her to her chest. Teddy stood with her hand on her shoulder, watching the love of her life board the plane that would take him half a world away.

* * *

He stepped onto the plane with a deep breath and found his seat. The soldier who came running up behind him had the seat next to him. He silently celebrated as he realized he would have someone to talk to on the flight to D.C.; he needed a distraction. That was one of the worst farewells he had ever experienced.

As soon as the safety announcement was over, he leaned over to shake the soldier's hand. "Tim Robbins, nice to meet you."

The soldier looked up and took his hand in a firm handshake. "George O'Malley. Where you headed?"

* * *

Tim decided he really liked this O'Malley. Turns out he had a daughter, but was estranged from his ex, so he didn't get to spend Christmas with her. Instead, he spent it with some friends. It sounded lonely to Tim, but he wasn't one to pry. He told him about his Christmas; how he got to meet his sister's fiancée and even met the girl of his dreams and fell in love. He liked saying that; he was in love. O'Malley explained that it was his first tour and they found out they were headed to the same place, so Tim offered to show him around. He was a kind guy, and Tim knew the Army would tear him apart if he left him alone. He was a surgeon, so Tim found even more reason to talk about his three girls, happy to be able to actually use some of the medical jargon he had picked up over break. They shifted easily into talking about sports and their favorite teams. He was happy to find out that he actually watched college ball. Before they knew it, they had landed in D.C.

"Hey man, I'll meet you at the McDonald's. I gotta call my sister to tell her we landed." Tim pulled out his cell phone and waved as George trotted towards the bathroom.

Arizona was sitting on their bed, still wiping away tears staring at her cell phone intently, willing it to ring. She had convinced herself that if she heard his voice, that she could find just a small amount of relief from the overwhelming sadness that had become her reality. "They should have landed 5 minutes ago, Calliope… what's taking him so long?"

Callie sighed. She had been trying to comfort her every way she knew how, but nothing was working; she was out of ideas. She squeezed her shoulder, praying that Tim would just call already just as her screen lit up with a picture of Tim playing with Sofia. She smiled, suddenly able to hear his baby voice ringing through the empty apartment like a ghost's.

Arizona immediately grabbed the phone, sliding the screen to answer it. "Tim?!"

"Hey, Arizona! We made it! And I met this guy on the plane, he's really cool. He's stationed at the same place, so I'm gonna show him around!" Tim tried to keep his voice light. He could hear his sister sniffling.

Relief washed over Arizona. Tim's voice was already calming her down. He wasn't physically in front of her, but he was alive and he was okay. If he was alive and okay now, he could be alive and okay for the next few months. "That's great, Tim! Is he in the same group thingy as you?"

Tim chuckled. "No, he's a surgeon actually, so he'll be in the medical platoon like Teddy was."

"Oh, wow. I hope he's ready for some serious shit." Arizona leaned back into her pillow, finally relaxing into their conversation. Callie watched her nervously, hoping this would break the spell.

"Yeah, he seems up for it. He's a good guy and he sounds like he knows what he's talking about. I threw some of those big words out that you guys are always saying and he didn't even flinch."

Arizona laughed, eliciting a sigh and a huge breath of relief from Callie. She decided to start some dinner so that she could talk to Tim alone. "Well, good. You guys need better doctors out there. Some of the horror stories Teddy has though are pretty intense. Owen won't even talk about it."

Tim sat down at one of the tables outside of the McDonald's. "Yeah, she told me about that. Some people handle it better if they don't have to talk about it. I guess Owen's one of those people." He looked up at the menu. "Hey. Pick a number between 1 and 4."

Arizona chuckled as she recognized her brother's way of picking what he wanted for dinner. He could never decide and always made her pick a number that he had randomly assigned to his choices. "Uhm… 3."

"Good choice! Chicken nuggets it is! Final meal state-side… I'm super sizing this shit."

Arizona laughed and shook her head. "Well, enjoy that. Callie's making stir fry because I told her I wasn't hungry but she knows I'll eat that anyways."

Tim sent a silent thank you up to Callie. "That sounds good. Your lady can make a mean stir fry. Hey man! Over here!" He waved down George who had just come walking up to the food court and was looking for him.

She realized this was the moment of the real farewell, and suddenly she really needed to not be talking to him anymore. It was like ripping off a band-aid, the faster she ripped the less it would hurt. "I'll let you go, love you!"

"Love you too! Oh wait! Put Callie on the phone, I wanna say hi to her too."

Arizona got up and walked to the kitchen. She watched Callie shake her hips to the music playing in the background and laughed silently to herself. It definitely helped to have someone so happy around to offset everything. She thought of Sofia, and kicked herself for not thinking to talk to her little girl sooner. Sofia always made her feel better. Suddenly that was all that she wanted to do. "Okay, here she is. I love you. See you soon."

"Love you too."

She handed Callie the phone and took several deep breaths, trying to keep herself from crying again. Callie took the phone and watched as Arizona turned on her heel and walked quickly towards Sofia's nursery. "Hey, Tim."

"Hey, Cal. Is she crying still?"

Callie sighed. "Yeah, it's not as bad though. She's headed to go see Sofia though which means she'll be fine soon. I'm making her favorite dinner too, so she'll be alright. Don't worry about her, I got this. How was your flight?"

"It was good. I met one of the new surgeons on the flight out here. He's headed to the same base. He's pretty cool. Except right now apparently he can't freakin' see me. HEY! O'MALLEY!" He stood up on his chair and flung his arms around. George finally caught sight of him and smiled, running up to him.

Callie froze. "O'Malley? Like, George O'Malley?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

Callie laughed. "Yeah, you could say that; I used to be married to him. That's Sofia's Dad."

Tim jumped down from his chair. "No shit!"

Callie had to laugh. She hadn't really explained to Tim what had happened between them, and she decided she'd rather Tim had a new a friend than a new enemy; especially when she knew how talented of a surgeon George really was. "Yeah. He'll take care of you. Stick close to him, okay?"

Tim grabbed his bag and flung it over his shoulder. "Okay. If you say so, boss! Alright, I got some chicken nuggets and some super-sized fries to get. Love you, chica!"

Callie smiled. "Love you, too. Stay safe!" She ended the call and put the phone down on the counter. It was one hell of a coincidence that George would end up at the same base as Tim. She, for the first time, was actually happy he enlisted. _Take care of him, George._ She sent up the prayer to the universe and scooped some of her famous stir fry to take in to her fiancée.

* * *

**AN 2:** Thoughts? You guys have been quiet. _Too_ quiet.


	26. Ch 26: Promises Kept

Chapter 26: Promises Kept

* * *

It had been a week, and Arizona was still refusing to leave the apartment. Her mind was still reeling with images of the worst kind of pain she could imagine. She couldn't explain it; she had tried hundreds of times. Something about Tim being gone this time was just _wrong._ Callie tried to understand, but she couldn't and she really missed her Arizona… this scared, empty, crying zombie version was slowly draining both of them. Arizona knew she was putting too much stress on Callie, so she insisted on her going back to work without her; instead, she stayed at home all day with Sofia. Callie was hesitant to leave her, but she had patients to take care of. She had been able to talk the chief into giving Arizona a few days off, but they weren't paid. It was the best he could do; everyone was worried about their favorite peds surgeon. Teddy was back immediately, deciding to throw herself into surgery after surgery as a distraction. Callie kept an eye on her too, though. She knew Tim would want her to. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally to be both at home and at work. She constantly felt like she was going to collapse and it had only been a week.

Callie didn't want to go home yet. She had just gotten off from her shift at the hospital where she had had an especially difficult day. She lost two patients, something that rarely happened in her OR. She needed nothing more than to be able to go home and be with Arizona, but she knew that her Arizona wasn't going to be there when she stepped through the door. So instead, she was walking through the grocery store, hoping to find something to make for dinner that would cheer up her fiancée. She had stopped crying at least, and was starting to show signs of trying to be happy again, but she was having horrible nightmares, which kept both of them awake at night. They were both exhausted, and Callie honestly didn't know how much more she could handle on her own.

She yawned as she passed the noodle aisle, and lazily turned in. Maybe there would be something to inspire her down this aisle… She stared at a box of Mac N' Cheese when her phone rang, breaking her from her thoughts. She smiled when she saw the picture of Barb and the Colonel sitting with Sofia in front of the Christmas tree, Arizona and herself on either side of them. She slid the unlock key and held the phone to her ear. "Barb!"

"Hey baby girl! How are you doing?" The woman's tone was light, but concerned.

Callie thought to answer simply but sighed, realizing she really needed someone's help. "Not so good."

"Mhmm, I thought so. It's been what, a week now?" Barb sat down in her living room, clicking to their cat, Paws who happily jumped into her lap.

"Yeah. I'm staying strong, but she says she's having a harder time than usual. She feels like something's wrong and something's going to happen to him… I've been trying to get her to snap out of it, but I'm running out of ideas." She put her head in her hands, trying not to cry.

"That's why I'm here. I had a feeling I should give you a call. Everyone needs someone, and I'm your someone." Barb scratched Paws' head, smiling when he answered with a low purr.

"Thank you." Callie sniffed and closed her eyes, wishing she could have a huge Mama Robbins hug.

"Is she having nightmares?" Barb thought back to every time her baby girl had called her in the middle of the night after Tim left the first time. She hadn't called at all since Tim left, but she knew it was because Callie was there for her this time.

Callie nodded. "Yeah, she says they're worse than before. I can get her to calm down, but it takes a while. I just really wish I could get her mind off of it. She hasn't even been to work in a week… she just sits and plays with Sofia all day." She silently blessed her daughter for being such a comfort.

"You aren't doing anything wrong. She takes some time to process things, especially when it involves Tim. You're doing _great_, Callie."

Callie breathed a giant sigh. She hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear those words. She had been working so hard to keep her promise to Tim, but she didn't feel like she was doing anything right. She fought back the tears that threatened to fall. "Thank you, Barb. I really needed that."

"Of course, honey. Now, do you want some advice from your old Mama Robbins?"

Callie laughed. "Yes, please!"

"Distract her with wedding stuff and sex; **lots** of sex."

Callie stood wide eyed in the middle of the grocery store. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me! She's crazy about you, and she needs a distraction. She'll take some coaxing though… Hmm… Donuts. Get her some donuts from that bakery on the corner by your apartment where I went on Christmas Eve. She loved those. Have a movie night with nothing but funny movies, oh! Try that movie… now what was it called. It just came out… Damn. Well, if I think of it, I'll text you."

Callie laughed at her future mother-in-law's ramblings. She mentally made note to send her a thank you card and something nice. "Okay, so donuts, movies, sex, and wedding stuff? Am I missing anything?"

Barb scratched her head and leaned back, thinking. "Just be there for her like you already are. She doesn't always show it, but she needs you. Tell her she can call me anytime, too if she needs to. The same goes to you. And text me more often! I took all that time to learn how to text on this fancy thing and y'all never text me!"

Callie laughed as she walked up to the seafood section to see if they had fresh lobster; she suddenly knew exactly what she needed for dinner. "I definitely will. Thank you so much, Barb. I really miss you."

"Awh, hush. I'll be out in a few months to help finish the wedding planning. Just don't forget about me, I'm here for you, baby." She got up and headed towards the tea kettle that was whistling on the stove. "Gotta go, the water's hot. Love ya!"

"Love you too!" Callie ended the call and walked towards the register, mentally making a checklist of all the places where she had to stop on the way home.

"Arizona, Babe!? I'm home!" She stumbled through the door with all the bags from her shopping extravaganza hooked on her arms. She looked around, but didn't see Arizona or Sofia. She saw a note on the counter and walked over to see Arizona's hand-writing:

_Took Sofi to the park for the afternoon. We'll be home before dark, and I've got my phone._

_Love you,_

_Arizona_

_P.S. – you're wonderful._

Callie took the note and put it in her wallet. It was the little things like that that made her fall in love with the blonde all over again. Even when she was so distant, she made sure to remind her that somewhere, she was still there. Her Arizona was still in there somewhere, she just needed some help finding her way out. She smiled to herself as she realized that now she would have time to set up for tonight to do just that. She ran around the apartment getting everything ready.

* * *

Arizona breathed in the crisp Seattle air as she made her way around the trail for the fifth time. Sofia was passed out in her stroller wrapped in blankets, but she knew she would be waking up soon and would be very hungry. Arizona had decided early that day that she absolutely needed to get out of the house. After the second lap, she realized how therapeutic the combination of the crisp January air and the exercise was. She could finally feel her mind clearing. Her phone buzzed and she looked down to see that she had a text from Callie.

_Hey, hon. Just got home and saw your note. I'll have dinner ready in 45 minutes whenever you're ready to come back. I love you. P.S. – you're amazeballs. ;)_

Arizona laughed and typed a quick response.

_Amazeballs? Really, Calliope? lol We're just finishing now, see you in 30. Love you._

Callie smiled and set her phone down. She looked around the apartment and her smile grew… she was going to love this.

* * *

Arizona opened the door to their apartment and looked around, amazed. The candles from her proposal night were set up all over the apartment, and rose petals decorated the path from the door to the table which held a recreation of the meal from their first date. The rose petals continued to the bedroom, where she was sure there was more, but the door was closed. Callie walked up to greet her wearing the sexiest set of lingerie she had ever seen. It was black lace with red silk around the edges. It perfectly accentuated her already absolutely voluptuous chest. A smile came to her lips as she saw the only adornment to the outfit, the white gold necklace nestled between her breasts. Her eyes raked across her love's soft, tan skin and her mouth fell open. "Calliope…" She looked around again and noticed the music in the background. She recognized it immediately as the music from the first night she had come over to the apartment.

Callie picked up Sofia and went to put her in her playpen in the living room then danced towards Arizona, letting her hips lead the way, just like she had the first time. Arizona closed the door behind her as she watched her beautiful Latina's hips sway to the music. Callie reached out and took Arizona's hand, pulling her towards the living room. "30 second dance party!" Callie shouted then spun the blonde into her arms. Their hips came together and Arizona couldn't help the huge smile that pulled at her lips as she remembered the moves that made her first fall for Callie. They moved across the living room, waving their arms back and forth and laughing. Sofia woke up at the sound of her Moms' laughter. She stood up, reaching for them and laughing along with them. Arizona saw her first and scooted her way towards her, sweeping her up into her arms. She danced around with her laughing as the music continued to fill the air. As it faded, she smiled up at Callie before leaning in for a fervent kiss. Their lips broke away quicker than either woman would have liked, both trying to catch their breath.

Callie smiled and took Sofia from Arizona's arms. "Sofi's gonna go have fun with Uncle Mark tonight!" She opened the door, but Arizona grabbed her arm before she could step into the hall.

"Whoa! Not dressed like that, you're not. No one else gets to see you looking that sexy. You just wait here." She grabbed Sofia and marched across the hall. Callie laughed and turned to go pour the wine for dinner.

They talked about wedding plans while they ate. Arizona took a few minutes to really get into it, but as soon as she did, it was like she couldn't turn her mind off. Callie pulled out a few magazines she had picked up on the way home, and they flipped through them together as they dreamed about their wedding day. They picked Royal Blue and Silver to be their colors and decided to risk an outdoor wedding. Arizona loved the idea of being married in a field, a gentle breeze blowing the fresh warm air around them as they promised their lives to each other. Callie argued that Seattle weather would never cooperate, but Arizona's pouting lip and puppy dog eyes won her over. They moved to the couch after they finished eating where Callie had Pitch Perfect waiting for them in the Blu-Ray player.

Arizona snuggled into Callie's lap as they sat and watched the movie. Arizona had never seen it, but she loved it. Callie picked up her phone to text Barb.

_She loves the movie! Great choice! Also wedding planning definitely worked. Update: Colors are royal blue and silver. Outdoor ceremony. Thanks again, Mama R._

She put her phone down and continued to run her fingers through Arizona's hair. Her phone buzzed loudly against the wooden side table, interrupting the movie. Arizona turned in Callie's arms to see what she was doing.

_Glad to hear it! Make good choices! ;)_

Callie laughed and put her phone down.

"Who's that? Is Sofia okay?" Arizona reached to grab her phone. She had become even more attached to her little girl over the last week, if that was even possible. She was sure that without her, the hours she spent waiting for Callie to come home from the hospital would have been tortuous. Sofia had saved her, just by being there and loving her. The idea that something could be wrong sent her into a frantic panic. She understood now the pain the parents of her patients went through, and she honestly wished she didn't.

Callie touched her hand, stopping her. "Everything's fine, it was your mom. I was just updating her on wedding details." She leaned down and kissed her softly, erasing the worry from her face.

"Oh, okay. Well tell her you'll talk to her tomorrow. You're mine tonight." Arizona turned to face Callie completely and pressed her lips against Callie's.

They moaned into the kiss, quickly realizing the next part of the night was not going to wait for the end of the movie. Arizona's hands wandered to the chest that had been teasing her all night with its perfection. She couldn't stop herself any longer from having those perfect breasts in her hands. Callie tangled her fingers into Arizona's hair, tugging just the way she knew she loved. She could feel her Arizona coming back to life with every breath they shared and every moan she gasped. Callie broke away with a smile. "Come on, I have another surprise for you." Arizona jumped off the couch with a single bound and turned the TV off.

Callie rolled her eyes and took Arizona's hand, leading her to the bedroom. She pulled the blonde in front of her and opened the door. More candles from their proposal night were lit around the room and rose petals were strewn about the floor and all over their bed. Sitting directly in the middle of the bed was a pink box with a white ribbon on it and a bag that was tied shut with matching ribbon. Arizona looked around with her mouth hanging wide open. Callie wrapped her arms around her, pressing her chest against her back.

"All of this… for me?" Arizona turned to face her fiancée.

"Arizona, I'd give you the world just to see you smile again." Callie kissed the corner of her mouth and released her, waving her towards the bed. "Open the box first."

Arizona hesitated as Callie sat down on the bed, adjusting the pillows. She opened the box to find an assorted dozen of donuts from her favorite shop on the corner. She looked up to Callie with a huge smile. She had never even mentioned how much she loved these donuts, how did she know?

Callie's heart threatened to explode when she saw her fiancée's smile back on her face. "There it is." Callie's lips pulled into her own brilliant smile as she reached in to grab a donut. Powdered sugar fell all over her chest as she took the first bite. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the sweetness of the cream filling filled her mouth.

Arizona crawled up the bed towards Callie. She hesitated before licking the powdered sugar off of her chest, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. Callie's eyes flickered open. Arizona looked up to find love and anticipation building behind the chocolate brown eyes. Callie's chest rose and fell, gently grazing Arizona perched on top of her. Her heart was pounding, but she was waiting for Arizona to make the first move. Hesitation gone, Arizona pressed her lips against the full lips she had missed so much over the last week. She licked the powdered sugar off and smiled as she tasted the sweetness of the donut on Callie's tongue. Callie leaned into the kiss, letting their tongues dance. She moaned gently and could feel a deep warmth building in her center. It was a fire that only ever lit for Arizona; her Arizona was back.

Arizona broke the kiss and sat back with a raised her eyebrow, suddenly remembering the unopened gift still waiting on the bed. "I like what was in the box… but now, the real question. What's in the bag?"

Callie smirked and put the donut back down with the others. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous to see Arizona's reaction to the gifts in the bag.

Arizona ripped the ribbon off and opened the bag. She gasped as she looked inside. "CALLIOPE!"

Callie shrunk into the pillows and blushed. "If you hate it, I can take it back… well, actually I probably can't. But we don't have to…" her voice trailed off as Arizona dumped out the contents. A pair of fluffy pink handcuffs, a set of matching vibrators, a blindfold, a sexy dice game, and a purple dildo with a dolphin on it fell onto the bed. Arizona looked up to Callie, shock written all over her face. Callie's eyebrow raised and she gave a devilish grin. "You can't tell me you aren't just a little bit curious…"

Arizona looked back to the contents on the bed as she reached down to pick up the dice game, rolling it in her hand. She carefully read all the faces of the dice before quickly putting it back down. "I'll be right back." Arizona jumped off the bed and ran out of the bedroom.

Callie sat back with a sigh. _Shit. She hates it. Way to go, Torres._

She started to pick everything up as Arizona ran back into the room with a can of whipped cream in her hand. She threw it on the bed and started ripping off her clothes. "Calliope, you're perfect and amazing and gorgeous and incredible and…" She reached the bed, completely naked. She crawled on top of her, straddling her hips. She leaned down so her lips were suspended inches from her own. Callie could feel her breath grazing across her lips as she whispered the last part of her declaration. "I love you." Callie smiled and grabbed the can of whipped cream from the bed as their lips crashed together. Her Arizona was definitely, _definitely_ back.

* * *

**AN:** I don't want to give away the ending to the story, but I just want you guys to know that I hear all of your pleas about Tim! All I'm going to say is that this story is about to get **amazing**. I have the next 6 chapters already written, but I'm taking my time with updates so I can make sure they're everything I want before I post them for you guys.

Thank you so much for the wonderful comments and reviews! Shout out to WaitTilYouSeeMySmile! I seriously almost cried at your review. I tried so hard to really capture what Arizona was going through in Chapter 25, so it was awesome to see that it translated through. Thanks :)

What'd you think of Mama Robbins coming to the rescue?


	27. Ch 27: Valentine's Day

Chapter 27: Valentine's Day

* * *

Arizona stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, pausing at the door connecting their bathroom to the bedroom. She gently wrapped her fingers around the knob, and turned it silently. She peeked through the crack in the door to see Callie struggling with the zipper on her dress. She was cursing in Spanish and pouting before she finally gave up, slumping onto the bed, Spanish muttering past her lips. Arizona chuckled to herself and closed the door again without making a sound. She heard the front door open and Teddy's voice calling out that she was there. Callie jumped up and ran for the living room, closing the door behind her. Arizona slipped into the bedroom and sifted through her closet. She was going to wear her simple dark blue dress that showed off her ass, but after seeing Callie's new dark red dress, she was rethinking. She remembered seeing black accents along the sides of the dress… her eyes fell over her favorite black dress and she smiled. It was perfect.

Callie watched as Teddy bounced Sofia on her knee. "Thank you so much for watching Sofia for us tonight, Teddy. I didn't think we'd be able to go out for Valentine's."

Teddy smiled and hugged Sofia closer. "Honestly, thank you for giving me a distraction. It's really hard to be away from Tim right now." Teddy's eyes shifted to the floor.

She hadn't even thought about that… suddenly Callie didn't want to leave. Teddy had been spending almost every day with them after that first week. If they all had the night off from the hospital, they'd sometimes go for drinks at Joe's, but usually one person out of the trio had to work, so the other two would keep each other company and watch movies or just talk. They had all become very close over the last month; their friendship was probably the only good thing to come from Tim's deployment. Her heart ached for Teddy. She couldn't imagine having to spend Valentine's Day away from Arizona. She didn't even want to think about it. How could she leave Teddy alone? She watched as Sofia reached up and grabbed Teddy's nose, making the woman laugh. Teddy attacked Sofia with kisses making all three of them laugh. She smiled and kissed Sofia's head. Somehow, Sofia was always able to bring laughter and joy to people's lives. Callie let out a deep breath. Teddy would be alright… Sofia was exactly what she needed to get through the night.

The door to the bedroom cracked open, and Arizona stepped into sight. Suddenly, the breath was stolen out of Callie. Everything around her went into a blur, except for the love of her life standing in the doorway. Her mouth hung slightly agape, and it was all she could do to keep standing.

Arizona shifted her weight uneasily. Callie had stopped breathing altogether, and both she and Teddy were staring with open mouths. She reached to her hair, brushing a lock behind her ear. Maybe the dress was too much…

"Arizona… you look…" Teddy started, but couldn't find an adjective to properly describe her best friend in that moment.

"Incredible." Callie finished. She took a deep breath and stepped towards her, wrapping her arms around Arizona's waist.

The blonde laughed and leaned forward into a kiss. "Well, thank you. All for you, Calliope." She winked and stepped out of the embrace to walk towards Teddy. "Thank you again for watching Sofia. We shouldn't be out too late. We're just doing dinner then coming home."

Teddy's eyes shifted between the two women and her eyebrow rose. She knew they wouldn't be out too late, not the way they were dressed. They would be doing most of their celebrating behind that bedroom door, and she knew it. She laughed to herself and nodded. "No problem. You two take your time, Sofia and I will be just fine."

Arizona's eyebrows creased in worry. She felt Callie's solid body behind her and her arm wrap around her waist. She trusted Teddy to take care of their little girl, but it was still hard to leave her. Callie could feel the thoughts racing through Arizona's mind. Ever since that first week, Arizona had become extremely protective of Sofia and had a hard time leaving her. Callie gave Arizona a gentle squeeze then reached for her purse. They both gave Sofia a kiss goodbye then they were out the door.

Teddy shook her head and laughed as she watched the door close. She stood up, balancing Sofia on her hip. "You are one lucky little girl, Sofi. You have some drop dead gorgeous moms. They're crazy sometimes, but they'll always love you." She reached into her bag and pulled out the construction paper she brought with her. "And don't you worry, because when you get older and they start to drive you insane, you've got your old Uncle Tim and Aunt Teddy here for you." She sat down on the living room floor and put Sofia down next to her. The little girl immediately crawled back into her lap, settling against her chest. She picked up a bright pink piece of paper and folded it in half vertically; then again, making four long strips. "Okay, now let's see… how many days until Uncle Tim comes back?"

* * *

Arizona nestled deeper into her seat as they left the restaurant, turning the heated seat onto the highest setting. The cold Seattle night air had blasted right through her jacket and into her bones. Callie reached over to take her hand, never taking her eyes off the road. Their fingers entwined as they passed the exit on the interstate for their apartment. "Callie that was our exit…" She watched as it flew past them.

"I know. I thought we'd go for a drive. Teddy's watching Sofia and it's only 8:15." Her thumb traced a light circle across Arizona's soft hand. The blonde looked out the window and watched as building after building went flying past them. She didn't recognize the area when Callie finally exited off of the interstate. She watched as a devilish grin erupted across her fiancée's lips. "Where are we going?"

Callie couldn't help but smile. She had never even mentioned this place to Arizona, wanting to surprise her at just the right time. She took the familiar route and turned in. She looked away from the road for the first time since they got in the car to watch her reaction.

She couldn't believe it. As soon as Callie turned the corner, she squealed. In front of her was the giant screen of a drive-in movie theater. She had always wanted to go to one, and she remembered mentioning it a few times, but she didn't think any still existed! She whipped her head around and screamed. "NO WAY!"

Callie laughed and kissed Arizona's hand. "Happy Valentine's Day, Arizona." She pulled up and grabbed a bundle of blankets from the back seat. Arizona jumped out of her seat and stood with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket as Callie laid a blanket across the hood of the car. It was still warm from the drive, creating a perfect heater for the two women. Callie jumped onto the hood of the car and opened her arms for Arizona to crawl in. They bundled themselves in two more blankets and turned to watch the movie.

"Calliope, I love you."

Callie kissed the top of Arizona's head. "I love you too, Arizona."

"This is absolutely perfect. I didn't even know this existed! How did you find it?"

Callie laughed. "I kind of just stumbled upon it a while ago on accident when I was driving around avoiding going home to George. I've always wanted to come here, but I didn't want to bring George, and I didn't want to come alone. The first time you mentioned always wanting to go to a drive-in, I knew I had to bring you here."

Arizona turned her head to kiss her love. "Why didn't you say something earlier? You know we have to come back now, right?"

Callie laughed and brushed a lock of her hair out of Arizona's face, tucking it behind her ear. "Well, they're only open tonight. It's closed from September until March, but they open for Valentine's. Since we started dating right before August, I didn't really have much time to plan all of that before it closed for the winter. We can definitely come back this summer though."

Arizona nodded and turned back towards the movie.

"I wanted it to be special anyways. I figured what better time than our first Valentine's together?"

Even with such a simple statement, Arizona fell in love with Callie even more. She was always thinking of how to make things as special as possible. She thought about the details, and she loved that about her. She reached up to twist her engagement necklace between her fingers as she realized she would never have to celebrate a Valentine's Day with anyone else. She turned to look into her eyes, knowing they were the eyes she would look up into for the rest of her life. Every Christmas, Birthday, New Year's, they were all laid out in front of them. They would be together through every single one. A huge smile spread across her face as she leaned in to kiss her full lips. The kiss quickly became more heated than she intended. She broke away, suddenly needing so much more. Callie responded immediately. She ran her hand up her thigh, drawing her closer. Arizona pressed her lips against Callie's, brushing the bottom of her lip with her tongue. Callie's mouth opened and their tongues danced together. Arizona's hands reached up, grasping at Callie's chest. Callie's hand tangled into blonde hair and a moan escaped her lips. Arizona felt Callie's grip tightening and her hand drawing farther up her thigh. She rocked her hips, begging to be touched.

A grunt from the car beside them broke their embrace. They both shot a glare to the woman judging them from the arms of her date. The woman scoffed and whispered in her man's ear. Arizona blushed and dropped her head to Callie's shoulder. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I can't believe we almost had sex on the hood of your car in the middle of a drive-in."

Callie took a deep breath. "I completely forgot where we were." Her eyes darted back to the woman next to them, daring her to make another judgmental sound. She was asking for a Torres-style beat down.

Arizona grabbed Callie's hand, entwining their fingers. "I really love this… a lot. But I really need you and a bed or somewhere private. Doesn't even have to be a bed. Okay, maybe I just need you. Like right now."

Callie's eyebrow rose before she tore the blankets off of them and jumped off the hood of the car. She threw the blankets into the backseat and got into the driver's side. Arizona stood at the hood of the car, still trying to figure out why she wasn't in Callie's arms anymore. She had never seen her move that fast before. The roar of the engine shook her back to the present and she jumped into the passenger seat. Callie reached across, placing her hand behind Arizona's head, and pulling her in for a deep kiss. Their lips moved in unison against each other. With every breath, Callie drew more of Arizona into her. She knew those lips, those sounds; she had memorized every single one never wanting to forget them. She was intoxicating and she was her's. She smiled and sat back. Arizona fell against her seat, panting. She let Callie put the car in gear before grabbing her hand, holding it in her lap.

They pulled onto the interstate and Callie smirked as she flattened her hand against Arizona's thigh. Arizona's breath hitched as Callie draped her fingers lightly across her exposed skin and pulled her dress farther up. "Callie, don't."

The Latina's smile grew wider as she drew her fingers closer to her center, careful to keep her eyes on the road. Arizona grabbed the edge of the seat and the door handle. She felt Callie rub against her panties. She couldn't help the deep moan from escaping her lips and her hips rocked into the touch, begging for more. Callie pressed into her and turned to watch as Arizona squirmed in her seat.

"Callie, stop. You need…" She squeaked and rocked into the touch again. "You need to drive."

Callie pulled off at the next exit and found an empty parking lot a block from the highway. She slammed the car into park and reached under Arizona's seat, pulling the lever to send her seat as far back as it would go. She crossed the middle of the car to straddle Arizona's hips. Arizona crashed her lips against Callie's as their moans echoed into each other. Callie pressed her fingers against Arizona's now soaked panties. The blonde squirmed under her touch, moaning and begging to be touched. She pulled the panties aside and slipped a finger into her folds. Arizona growled as she drew Callie closer into her. She ran her fingers through raven hair, pulling and tugging. Callie broke their kiss, suspending her lips inches away from Arizona's. She watched Arizona's eyes as she entered her. Arizona's breath was pulled out of her as she felt Callie's fingers press deep inside of her. She moaned and shot her head back, looking to the ceiling. Callie's lips immediately latched onto her neck, finding her pulse point. "Oh, fuck… Callie… don't stop. Don't stop…" She unzipped Callie's dress and clawed her way down her now exposed back. Callie rocked her fingers into Arizona at a steady pace to the music still playing from the radio. She leaned her forehead against the back of the seat and nibbled on her ear. "I love you so much, Arizona." The blonde squeezed her eyes shut. Callie was panting, her breath grazing her neck. She felt her stomach tighten. "I love you, Calliope." She tried to catch her breath. "God, just don't stop." Callie pumped her fingers into her and curled them to stroke the spot she knew would send her over. She kissed Arizona's neck, sucking on her pulse point. Arizona's moans grew faster and higher pitched. Callie slammed her fingers in harder, deeper, and faster. "Come for me, baby." She kissed her neck and curled her fingers again. Arizona bucked her hips, matching Callie's rhythm. Her moans became strangled screams of pleasure as she felt herself drawing closer. She dug her nails into Callie's back as her climax crashed into her. She held on as her body exploded. Her vision went black and her ears started ringing. She could hear Callie's voice somewhere in the distance, drawing her back. Callie continued to slowly pump in and out until Arizona stopped quivering beneath her. She placed gentle kisses along her jaw and her cheek, landing on her lips. Arizona was never more beautiful.

Her eyes flickered open as she weakly returned Callie's kiss. She let her head fall back to the seat. Her head lolled to the side and she took in their surroundings. "Did we seriously just have sex in an empty parking lot?"

Callie laughed and looked around. "Yeah, I guess we did." She leaned into a kiss. "Now zip me back up so we can go home."

* * *

They sauntered up to their apartment door, laughing and wrapped up in each other. "Thank you for an amazing night, Calliope." Arizona leaned in to kiss Callie again.

"I love you. Thank you for buying me dinner." She smiled as she opened the door. They walked in and looked around to see a giant paper chain strung from the living room, around the kitchen, and across the door to the guest bedroom. The links were made of all sorts of different brightly colored construction paper. Each link was stapled together and had numbers written all over them. Callie's eyes widened. "What the…"

Arizona's faced erupted into a giant smile. "Teddy?"

They heard a grunt from the couch and they walked over to see Teddy waking up with Sofia on her chest. She opened one eye. "Oh, you're back!" She sat up, careful not to wake up Sofia. "Did you have a good night?"

Arizona nodded. "It was amazing. Thank you for taking care of Sofi. And I absolutely **love** the countdown chain!"

Callie's eyebrows shot up. "Oh! Is that what this is?"

Teddy nodded. "Yep! Sofia and I made it. Well, mostly me. It's for all 93 days until Tim gets back." She handed Sofia to Callie and stretched. "I'm glad you like it. I hoped you wouldn't kill me for it... It took forever to make."

Arizona smiled, looking around at the newly decorated apartment. "I haven't made one of these since my Dad was deployed when I was a kid. Tim used to love making them with me. We'd take turns ripping a chain link every night before bed." She turned back to Teddy and threw her arms around her neck. "Thank you so much, Teddy. This is awesome."

Teddy blushed and rocked back on her heels. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Want to rip off the first chain?"

They walked to the portion hanging over the TV. Arizona picked up the last chain and saw it decorated with the number '93'. She smiled at Callie and Teddy as she ripped it off and made a wish. It was always the same wish... _Please come home safe._

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the long delay in posting this… it's the fourth version; I just couldn't figure out how I really wanted it to go. I hope you guys liked it!

There are only a few more chapters left, but I'm thinking of continuing with a sequel. Thoughts? What'd you think of their Valentine's date? Any other military brats out there ever make a countdown chain?


	28. Ch 28: The Calm

Chapter 28: The Calm

* * *

It was Sofia's first birthday, and the family decided to spend the day walking through the city checking out bridal shops, venues for the wedding and reception, and bakeries for both their wedding cake and Sofia's cake for the party that night. After picking out the shop where they would go dress shopping the next week, they stopped in the park for lunch, setting up a blanket at their favorite spot.

Callie took out her phone and snapped a picture of the three of them. She sent it to Barb with the caption '_Hey Gigi! Wish you were here!_' She had been scolded one too many times for not sending enough pictures, so they'd made a habit of taking a picture whenever they went out as a family.

They talked about their pick for the ceremony and reception. It was an outdoor venue that had a giant gazebo in case it rained as well as a dinner hall. Callie immediately fell in love when she saw the plans for the garden on the edge of the field. During the month of June, the garden would be full of Calla lilies, her favorite. They finished their lunch and were packing everything back up when Arizona turned to Callie and kissed her unexpectedly. Callie leaned into the kiss, deepening it.

Arizona smiled as she pulled away. "Thank you."

Callie smiled, thinking back to the wild nights they'd had recently. The last minute stop to the sex shop a few weeks before had turned out to be the best decision of her life. She had no idea what they had been missing… wild sexy Arizona was hot… _really_ hot. "No, thank you." She arched her eyebrow and bumped her hip.

Arizona laughed. "No, not just _that_. For all of it… for everything you do for me. After Tim left, you really made me remember how to be happy again and I never thanked you for that. So, thank you."

Callie's smile fell briefly as Tim's words echoed through Arizona's lips. She looked past her shoulder as she realized this was the exact same place Tim had made her promise to do just that. She locked eyes with Arizona as a tear welled in the corner of her eye. "You're welcome." She said it out loud for both Tim and Arizona as she reached out to take her hand. "Now, let's get going. I want to try that other bakery before we head home. I've heard really good stuff about their wedding cakes. Come on birthday girl!" She reached for Sofia and lifted her onto her hip as they strolled out of the park and continued their family day.

They spent the next few hours visiting various bakeries before they found the perfect shop. It was owned by a baker who shared Arizona's love for heelys. The second they saw the brown-haired, blue-eyed baker roll up to them with a tray of samples, they knew she was the one. They decided on a specialty cake that was unique to the shop for their wedding; it was an old family recipe that was a version of an Italian Wedding Cake. The frosting had toasted coconut mixed in, which was a surprise favorite of both Callie and Arizona. They told the baker, Kristine, it was Sofia's first birthday, and the woman squealed. She showed them to the glass case of already made cakes available for decorating. She insisted they have one on the house, so they picked one out, and were out the door in less than an hour.

They finally got back home two hours before the party was supposed to start. Callie was already on the phone ordering the pizzas when Arizona's phone rang. She looked at the screen and smiled as she answered. "Hey Teddy! How's it going?"

"Great! I'm so excited for tonight! I have all the sodas and beer. Are you sure you guys don't need me to bring anything else?"

"Nope! Just the drinks! Thanks so much for helping, Teddy! We're excited to see you, I feel like it's been forever."

"Only three days. It does seem like a while though, doesn't it?" Teddy laughed. She had never had such a strong friendship, it was really helping her get through Tim's deployment.

"It really does. I can't believe we're almost at the halfway point, though!" Callie was hanging the Happy Birthday banner and looked to her to get a thumbs up on whether it was straight or not. Arizona nudged her head to the left then gave her nod of approval after she adjusted it.

"I know! I can't wait 'til he gets back. We should start planning his coming home party." Teddy rummaged through her purse for her car keys.

"Oh, definitely! Callie and I are on a roll with this whole party planning thing. We made more wedding plans today, too. We'll have to show you before everyone else shows up tonight." Callie came walking up and dropped the package of balloons on the counter. She took one out and started blowing it up. "I've gotta help Callie finish decorating. Drive safe!"

"Okay, see you in a bit!" Teddy hung up the phone and pulled out of her driveway.

* * *

Callie tied off her first balloon as her phone chimed. She looked at the screen and all of the color drained from her face.

"Calliope? What's wrong?" Arizona looked at her phone's screen and saw a new text notification from an Aria. She walked around the breakfast bar so that she was behind Callie. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder, trying to stop her shaking. "Do you want me to read it?"

Callie nodded and handed her phone to Arizona. She unlocked the screen and read the message out loud.

_Hey Callie! Give Sofia a kiss for me and tell her I said Happy Birthday. I love you and I miss you. I hope you're alright._

Callie looked up at Arizona, shocked. She couldn't believe she had actually just gotten a text from her sister. Tears instantly started streaming down her face. She didn't even know they had started before they were pouring down. Arizona wrapped her arms around her, holding her as the shakes of her sobbing took over.

Arizona wiped away the tears from her face and smiled. "You should answer her. Do you want to?"

Callie nodded and reached for the phone but her hands were still shaking. She missed her family so much and she had given up wishing they would come back into her life a long time ago. They had hurt her, but she still loved them; she still missed them. But now her sister was reaching out. She still had no hope for her parents, but Aria was there, she was trying to come back! "Can you type for me?"

Arizona smiled and sat down next to her. "Of course. Go for it."

Callie took a deep breath. "Tell her I say hi and that I wish she were here for the party. Oh! Tell her I'll send her pictures of everything! Uhm, tell her I'm doing really really good, but that I miss her a lot. Tell her I have so much to tell her about, so much is happening! But just leave it at that. Oh, and tell her I love her."

Arizona finished the text and handed it to Callie for her approval then hit send. They each took a deep breath then collided into another hug. Arizona still wasn't sure if she was happy Aria was reaching out; Callie's family had ripped her apart once and she was finally starting to come back together. She wasn't sure she could handle that again. But Callie seemed happy, and that was enough for her.

They sat back down to finish the balloons, and her phone chimed again. She picked it up and read it out loud.

_I'd love to see the decorations! I'm so sorry I'm missing everything. I've been really dumb, Callie. I'm sorry. Mom and Dad are still being dicks, but I miss you and I'm tired of their pretentious bullshit. I have so much to tell you, too. Give me a call tomorrow when you have time and we can catch up? Love you._

Callie looked up with a huge smile spread across her face. "She's serious! She really wants to talk! AAAAHHHH!" Callie jumped up and started dancing. Arizona couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. Callie ran over and grabbed her in a hug, then kissed her. "I am SO EXCITED!" Callie jumped back and kept dancing around the living room. Arizona laughed even harder then picked up another balloon.

Callie's heart was racing. She had never been so happy to get a text in her entire life. She had a chance to have her sister back in her life. She knew Aria knew about her relationship with Erica, so she wasn't afraid of her reaction to finding out about Arizona. Maybe she would even come to the wedding… the thought hit her like a brick and she looked up to Arizona.

"Maybe she'll come to the wedding!"

Arizona's smile faltered. "Do you think she would?"

Callie shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I know she knows that I'm not straight, and she's never had a problem with it. Would you be okay with inviting her?"

Arizona tied off her last balloon. "We can invite her. I don't know about your parents, though. Maybe you can ask her about your family tomorrow on the phone?"

Callie nodded. "Definitely. I need some more intel." Arizona laughed and shook her head. She got up to kiss Callie and walked over to where Sofia was napping. Callie jumped when she heard knocking at the front door. "That's weird, usually Teddy just walks in. Oh, I bet her hands are full." She looked to Arizona who had just sat down to wake up Sofia and got up. "I'll get it." She opened their front door and froze.

* * *

**AN: **I had to break up this chapter… it was ridiculously long and I had too much plot moving. I'll go ahead and post the next chapter now. What do you guys think of Aria coming back? Do you think Callie will get burned again?


	29. Ch 29: The Storm

Chapter 29: The Storm

* * *

Teddy was shaking uncontrollably. She grabbed Callie, pulling her in to the hall before she could say anything. She closed the door and held up the phone in her hand. "It's Tim. He's… he's…" She started shaking again and shrank to the ground, putting her head between her knees.

Callie grabbed the phone and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Callie! Oh, thank god. Callie, something's wrong! I can't feel my toes, and I think they're gonna cut my legs off! You can't let them, Callie!" Callie's eyes shot open as she stared at Teddy who had her hand clasped over her mouth, silently panicking.

"Okay, Tim… I need you to breathe. Calm down and tell me what's happening. Can you move your toes?"

"No, damn it! Damn it, Callie! Callie, I fucked up. You can't let them cut off my legs, Callie, please!"

Callie switched immediately into surgeon mode. "Timothy Robbins, stop. Stop right now!" She paused until she heard Tim's shaky breath even out. "Good. Now, listen to me. Where's George?"

"O'Malley?"

"Yes. Where's O'Malley?"

"He's… he's right here. I… I think he saved my life, Callie."

She heard Tim start to break down into hysterics, and she sent a prayer up to the heavens, thanking them that George was there. If he really had saved Tim's life, she swore he was forgiven for everything. "Okay, Tim. You're okay. Put George on the phone."

"Okay." There was shuffling on the other line. "Hello?"

"George? It's Callie."

"Callie, oh thank God. I was hoping you were the Callie Torres that Robbins was always talking about." Tim's screams filled the background.

"George, what happened? What's going on?"

"There was a car bomb in town. Robbins saw it attached to the bottom of the car, and ran up to get the family out of it. There was a little boy in the back seat whose arm got stuck. Robbins reached in to get him out, but it took longer than it should have. He was running out of the kill radius carrying him when the bomb went off. He saved the boy's life, and the armor did him a lot of good, but his legs and right side were crushed under debris."

George paused, his tone shifting to that of a doctor, not a friend. "He had a lot of internal bleeding, but I've got that under control now. It's just his legs and his right arm… Callie, I'm in over my head with this. God, I wish you were here. I don't know what to do. The other surgeons are talking about amputation. They're worried about the risk of infection, but he's freaking out. He kept yelling at people to get him a phone screaming that he had to call the bone God." Callie shook her head. "I was really hoping he actually meant you." Desperation leaked through his voice.

Callie's breath hitched as she heard her name being screamed in the background. "Is there any way you can get him to Seattle?"

George paused as he shouted at the men around him. He came back to the phone. "We can get him to Walter Reid in Bethesda, MD but that's as close as he's going to get."

"You get him there, and I'll meet you. When do I need to be there?" She watched as Teddy's shoulders fell and an eerie stillness took over her body.

George shouted again to the men around him, demanding to know when the next plane was leaving. "We can have him there by morning. There's a cargo plane leaving tonight that he can hitch a ride on."

"Do it. Who do I need to call to get permission to operate at Walter Reid?" George put his Commanding Officer on the phone, and they exchanged information. She thanked him and asked for George to be put back on the phone.

"Hey Cal. It's me."

"George, I don't know how to thank you enough for saving his life. I know I gave you a lot of shit for joining… but—"

George cut her off. "Don't thank me, Callie. I joined for the wrong reasons, but I'm glad I was here too. Robbins has saved my ass more times than I can count. I'll stay with him until I see you tomorrow."

"Put Tim back on for me?"

"Sure thing. Bye, Callie."

"Bye, George." She waited as the phone was shuffled around.

"Callie? They're not going to take my legs are they?" Panic was filling his voice.

"No, Tim. They aren't going to take your legs. I won't let them. Breathe, Tim. You need to calm down." Teddy started to reach for the phone.

Callie handed it to her quickly, and she put it up to her ear. "Tim, honey. It's Teddy."

"Teddy… Oh, it's good to hear your voice."

"I know, you too. You need to focus on breathing. Breathe with me, okay?" Callie watched as Teddy talked Tim down from a panic attack in the middle of her own. She had never seen someone stay so calm in the middle of such a stressful situation. Teddy looked to her when she was convinced he had calmed down enough, and handed the phone back to Callie.

"Tim?"

"Hey, Torres." Tim's voice was remarkably clear. "You're with Teddy?"

"Yep, sure am. We're getting ready to have dinner with Arizona. But then we're all going to take a plane ride and meet you in Maryland tomorrow. How's that sound?"

Tim laughed, but stopped immediately and winced at the pain in his side. "That sounds great, Torres! Bring Sofia too! I miss Sofia."

Callie smiled. "Okay, we'll bring Sofia."

Tim's voice caught. "Callie, please don't let them cut off my legs."

"Tim, you listen to me. I am the only one who will be taking care of you from now on. You trust me, don't you?" She kept her voice steady and confident.

"Yes."

Callie took a deep breath. "Okay, then listen to me. Don't let anyone but O'Malley take care of you until you get to Maryland. He'll keep you alive until I can fix you, okay?"

"Okay. Got it. Thank you, Callie. I fucking love you."

"I love you too, you stupid hero. Here's Teddy, I'll see you in the morning. Try to get some sleep."

Teddy grabbed the phone and sank against the wall to their apartment as she kept talking to Tim, calming him down and reassuring him.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside the apartment.

* * *

Arizona looked up with a smile. "Hey, babe. What was that all about? Where's Teddy?"

"Can you come sit down on the couch with me for a second?" Callie shut the door quietly behind her.

"What? Why?" Arizona moved to the couch robotically. She had heard that tone many times before; it was her official surgeon voice, and it meant bad news. The familiar feeling that something was wrong with Tim collapsed back into the pit of her stomach.

Callie watched as a shade of anxiety washed over Arizona's face. She hated that she had to do this. Teddy opened the door to the apartment and immediately started sobbing. Callie rushed over to her and led her to the couch next to Arizona. The blonde wrapped an arm around her and looked to Callie with panic rising in her. "Callie, what happened? You're starting to scare me."

Callie desperately reached through her mind to figure out where to start. "He's going to be fine."

Arizona stopped breathing. "Who? Tim? It's Tim isn't it!? What happened?!" Tears started streaming down her face. "CALLIE. WHAT HAPPENED?!" Teddy started shaking in her arms and she tightened her hold on her. Her stomach was spinning and her blood was racing through her veins. She **knew** something was wrong. She shouldn't have let him go!

Callie shrank down to her knees so that she was at eye-level with the blonde. "He's going to be **fine**." She repeated it three times before Arizona's breathing leveled. "He saved a family from a car bomb, but not in time to get out far enough away before it went off. He was crushed under debris, but you're not gonna believe this…" Callie chuckled to herself, still trying to wrap her head around the miracle. "But George was right there, and he saved his life." Arizona's eyes grew as she fell back into the couch. "His legs and his right side were crushed, and he had some internal bleeding, but George says it's under control. He called Teddy freaking out because they wanted to amputate his legs."

"WHAT!? NO! CALLIE YOU CAN'T LET THEM!" Arizona reached for Callie. "Call him back! They can't! NO!" Arizona started shaking. Her vision of Tim dancing in the background of their wedding was slowly starting to shatter. "NO!" She grabbed Teddy. "Where's your phone!? CALL HIM BACK! I have to do something! I have to—"

Callie grabbed her and looked her in her eyes, just like Arizona always did when she went off in Spanish. "Arizona! Look at me!" The blonde's blue eyes immediately locked with the dark brown eyes of her love, and her nerves slowly calmed. Her stomach stopped spinning just long enough for her to catch her breath. Suddenly everything made sense. "That's why he called you."

Callie nodded. "That's why he called me. George arranged to have him flown to Walter Reid tonight. I'm going to go buy the tickets now for all four of us and your parents to meet him there."

Arizona threw her arms around Callie's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…" Callie held her and gently rocked her back and forth. She looked to Teddy and held her arm out for her to join them. Teddy hesitated, then leaned in and joined the embrace. The three of them sat on the floor together, crying and holding each other up until they finally looked around for a tissue box and laughed as they wiped their faces.

A knock sounded at the door and Callie looked up, suddenly realizing there was a birthday party that was supposed to be starting. She stood up, and pulled Arizona up with her. "I need you to start packing. We'll need two weeks' worth of clothes and supplies for Sofia and for us."

Arizona looked around the room. "But the party…"

"We'll have it when we get back. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." She turned her towards the bedroom. "Just start packing."

"My parents! Callie, I have to call my parents." Arizona's stomach started spinning again, and she grabbed onto Callie, trying to get the ground to stay still.

Callie wrapped her arm around Arizona's waist. "I'll call them. Don't worry, babe. You focus on packing, and I'll do the rest, okay?" She looked into Arizona's eyes until she nodded her head. She kissed her lightly before turning to Teddy. "Do you want Mark to take you home to get your things?"

Teddy shook her head. "No, Owen will be here soon, and he can help me."

Callie nodded and gave Arizona a final squeeze before letting her go to go answer the door. She paid for the pizza and walked across the hall to Mark's apartment.

She knocked on the door and waited for it to open. "Hey, Callie! Lexie and I are almost ready. The party doesn't start for another 15 minutes, right? Uhm, why are you holding like twenty boxes of pizza?"

Callie shifted her weight. "Yeah, uhm, there isn't going to be a party."

"What? Why?" Mark opened the door the rest of the way. Callie walked in and set the pizza boxes down on the counter.

"Something happened to Tim. We have to leave to get to Maryland by tomorrow morning so I can be there to operate on him before infection takes over. Can you do me a huge favor and intercept people to let them know? You can have the pizza or you can give it away or whatever, but I really can't deal with this right now."

Mark drew her in, wrapping his arms around her. "Sure thing, Callie. Anything you need, I got it. I'll keep all the presents over here and explain what happened for you. Don't worry."

Callie took a deep breath as she let the responsibility of explaining things repeatedly to all of their friends fade away. "Thank you so much, Mark." She wrapped her arms around Mark again as Lexie came walking in from the bedroom.

"Hey, Callie! Is something wrong?"

Callie looked to Mark and winced. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and turned to his girlfriend. "Yeah, something's wrong. I'll explain in a minute."

Lexie hesitated, but walked up and put her hand on Callie's shoulder.

Callie smiled weakly and stepped back. "Thanks again, Mark. I'll call you when I can." She walked back to her apartment just as Owen showed up. She let him in and closed the door behind them. Teddy immediately fell into his arms and explained everything. They left a few minutes later to get her things. Callie walked around the apartment, silently panicking. She took a deep breath trying to clear her mind. She took her phone out of her pocket to make the most difficult phone call of her life. _Damn it, Tim. Why'd you have to go and be a damn hero?_

* * *

**AN:** I hope you guys don't kill me for this... Be kind?


	30. Ch 30: The Hero

**AN**: Please don't throw bricks at me! I promise you guys I wouldn't have written such an amazingly awesome and lovable character just to kill him… if you don't have faith in me, have faith in Callie? Thank you so much for the reviews and comments. I've decided to work on a sequel for this story after it's finished; more details to follow!

Chapter 30: The Hero

* * *

Callie dug into her still shallow savings to buy the red eye tickets for Teddy, Arizona, Sofia, and herself. Arizona's parents offered to help pay, but she knew they could barely afford their own tickets on their income. Barb and the Colonel's flight came in twenty minutes ahead of the girls', so they were waiting at their gate when they walked off the plane.

Arizona held on to Callie the entire flight. She told her to try to sleep, but she couldn't will her mind to calm. Every time she closed her eyes, she played out the worst scenario; Tim was dying and there was nothing she or anyone could do to save him. Reality was much easier to handle. She couldn't do anything to help him, but the woman holding her hand could, and she trusted her more than any other person on the face of the planet to do just that. She didn't even notice the turbulence on the plane, she just focused on landing. Once they were safely on the ground though, it still didn't feel real. Everything about where she was and what was happening just sort of swam around in her head; nothing was clear, nothing was in focus. The only thing that _was_ sharp in her mind was the hand grasping her own. It felt like a point, fixed in space; unmoving and constant, it was there no matter if her eyes were open or closed her heart racing or steady. No matter what, that hand was there and had become the only thing that felt like solid reality; she held on with all of her might. The second they walked off the plane, she caught sight of her parents waiting at the gate and she immediately ran for the safety of her mother's arms. Callie could fix everything, but her mom could offer the kind of blind hope and safety that only a mother can.

Callie watched as Arizona fell into her mother's arms and her stomach spun. She didn't realize how much Arizona had been holding back on her, how strong she was trying to be. In her mother's arms though, there was no strength; there was only grasping for a feeling that everything would be alright. As a surgeon, you're taught to not give that kind of hope. You're taught to give the realistic truth, because on a daily basis, you're reminded things don't always go according to plan. People die, and you can't promise they won't. The weight of the situation finally fell onto her shoulders like bricks. This was her patient's family; Tim's family; _Arizona's_ family; _her_ family. She knew she could do this… she had to. She took a deep breath as she felt the familiar arms of the Colonel wrap around her shoulders. A feeling of complete empowerment suddenly washed over her. It was like nothing she had ever felt in her life. Something about his embrace filled her heart, lungs, veins, and mind with the crazy notion that she could actually do this; she was ready to tackle the world.

Teddy held a still sleeping Sofia as the girls traded places. Barb wrapped her arms around Callie and kissed her cheek. "Callie, baby girl, you're amazing."

Callie smiled and kissed Barb's cheek. "Thank you?"

"You kept her together… I can't believe she's still standing and hasn't even shed a tear since she got off the plane. You kept all of us together, Callie. You're amazing." She looked over Callie's shoulder towards Teddy with a raised eyebrow. "You even brought this lovely young woman with you."

The retired Army surgeon had seen better days. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were surrounded by dark circles from crying all night. She was the only one who hadn't seemed to be able to stop her panic attacks and crying since the phone call came. Owen had helped, but she fell right back apart as soon as they got to the airport.

Callie leaned in to explain. "This is Teddy, Arizona's best friend. She and Tim fell in love over New Year's."

Barb looked to Callie with a shocked expression. "Oh! _That's_ Teddy!?"

Callie nodded, and watched as the woman immediately took off to wrap her arms around her. Teddy's eyes popped open in surprise and looked to Callie for help. "Teddy, honey! I hate that we met this way, but I'm so happy to meet you. Tim told me all about you!"

Teddy looked to Barb and back up to Callie who just shrugged with a knowing smirk. "He did?"

Barb left one arm around her as they all started towards the baggage claim. "Sure did. He couldn't stop talking about this wonderful Army surgeon he met. You know the very first time he told me about you he told me he loved you?"

Teddy laughed for the first time since she'd gotten the call from Tim hours before; it felt like days.

Callie marched in to Walter Reid Army Hospital ready to take care of the most important patient of her life. She signed herself in and met with the Chief of Surgery as well as the Commanding Officer that had flown in with Tim the night before. She was given a security briefing as well as a brief medical history and was 'introduced' to Tim's lead surgeon, 1st Lieutenant O'Malley. She had prepared herself to see George again, and was grateful when he was nothing but professional. She was handed a pair of dark green attending's scrubs and shown the way to the visiting attending's lounge where she was instructed to change and await further orders. She had to dump her cell phone in a security box on the way in, so she sat, messing with the strings on her scrubs while she waited for someone to come get her. Finally, a soft knock came at the door, and she was ushered towards Tim's room.

* * *

"Callie?" Tim turned his head and smiled when he saw her walk in. "You look good in green." He laughed, but immediately stopped and winced in pain.

"Oh, Tim…" Callie let her eyes drift down his side, taking in his injuries. She turned as George entered the room. "Do you have his scans?"

George reached into the pile of folders he was carrying, picking out one marked with ROBBINS along the tab and held it out for her to examine. She pulled each scan out, sticking them on the light board individually, studying them carefully. He had what must be nearly 100 fractures throughout his feet, legs, hips, and ribs. His right arm had two major breaks and several hairline fractures. His hand looked surprisingly good, but she would need to examine that as well. She looked over each scan a second time, her finger hovering inches from the board, tracing the lines of his crushed skeleton. She went into the realm of surgery immediately imagining the best method for repairing each break; it was a giant puzzle and she was already working on the answer. Her mind carried on as she turned to George again. "Vitals?"

He grabbed Tim's chart and handed it to her. "He's been stable for the past 4 hours."

Callie looked through the markings all over the chart then glared up at him. "George, you told me he was stable last night."

George shifted nervously. "He was. His temperature spiked to 102 this morning around 0430, but I got it back under control by 0600." He paused, looking between Callie and Tim. "His heart rate dropped at 0730, but we were able to raise it back up in less than a minute, so there should be no need for cardio."

Callie nodded. "Call a consult. Infection is starting; since he's stable now we need to get him in as soon as possible. When is the next OR available?"

"I have one booked at 1400."

Callie nodded, still staring at the scans. "Good. Thank you, Lieutenant. Let me know when you've reached cardio."

He turned to leave the room, but paused in the door way. He slowly turned around, hesitating to leave as his eyes flickered towards Tim and then back to Callie.

She looked over her shoulder to see him still standing in the doorway and sighed. "He's going to be fine, George. You've done your part; you kept him alive." She paused to look to Tim. His gaze was held at a speck of paint chipped on the wall in the corner of the room, but there was no way his mind was in that room. "Now it's up to me. Your job here is done."

George nodded and turned on his heel, headed for the nurse's station.

Callie returned her attention to the scans on the board. Her mind wandered back into the steps she would take during surgery and her eyes fluttered closed. She was reaching a particularly difficult set of fractures right below his hip when Tim's voice shattered the silence.

"So? What do you think, Cal? Can you put me back together?"

She was tossed back into reality as she looked over her shoulder to the broken body of her future brother-in-law lying in the bed. She walked over to his good side and sat down. "You did one hell of a job getting smashed to pieces. You're lucky you've got me." She winked and took his hand.

It was the first physical contact he'd had so far that didn't feel medical; there was strength in her touch, a confidence that overwhelmed him. He squeezed her hand as everything suddenly became too real, panic suddenly rising in his voice. "Don't let her see me like this."

Callie's heart skipped and concern flushed across her face at the sudden weakness Tim was showing. "Hey don't worry, I'm here now." She lifted his hand to her chest and kissed it before putting her other hand over his. "I'll take care of you." She looked into his eyes and offered a reassuring smile. "And I promise you I won't let anyone through that door that you don't want. I know that Teddy, Arizona, Sofia, your Mom, and your Dad are all in the waiting room and they're all really worried about you. They'll want to see you, but if you don't want them to, then they'll be there when you wake up."

He nodded slowly and took several shallow and slow breaths. She didn't break eye contact until she was sure her words had fully solidified. He offered a weak smile before his eyes shifted to the display of scans illuminated on the board. "You've got a plan, then?"

She released his hand and looked to the board. She kept her voice even and steady. "I've got a plan." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep, and I'll come back to explain it to you after I've gotten the all clear from cardio." She stood up to collect his scans.

"Cal?"

She turned as she put the last scan back in to his folder and switched off the back light. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." He locked eyes with her.

There was so much power behind his words; so much gratitude, love, admiration, and honest thankfulness that it overwhelmed the surgeon. She was thanked all the time in her line of work, but this was one she would never be able to forget. She nodded and tapped the folder down on the table to settle the scans all against the edge of the folder. She couldn't find the words to respond; a warm smile spread across her face and she looked down to the ground. Her eyes flickered back to his and a small smile spread across his as well. With a nod, she was on her way out of his room.

* * *

She walked in to the waiting room to find her family huddled in a circle holding hands. Arizona saw her first and stood up, immediately crashing into her arms. "So? Is he okay? Was he awake? Did you talk to him? When can we go see him?"

Callie put her hands on her shoulders and walked her back towards her family.

"Tim's awake and responsive. He's asked that you wait until after the surgery to come see him." Protests from every person interrupted her. "Guys! Guys! Calm down!"

Teddy grabbed her hand. "Callie, I have to see him."

Callie paused and took a deep breath. "I can't let you. But, if you guys follow me, I can show you his scans and we can go over my plan to fix him together. His surgery is scheduled for 2 o'clock this afternoon, so I've got a few hours."

Teddy looked to Arizona and they nodded in unison. Barb spoke up. "I think I'd rather not see my baby's bones all broken. I'll stay back and watch Sofia and go check in at the hotel. I trust you'll take care of him." The Colonel wrapped his arm around his wife. "I'll go with her. You take care of my boy, Callie."

He let go of Barb and gave Callie another supportive hug that made her feel like she could conquer the planet. She chuckled as he released her. "Can you come back like _right_ before the surgery and give me another hug like that?"

He chuckled and gave her a wink. "Sure thing, darlin'."

* * *

The three surgeons spent the rest of the morning talking and working through Callie's surgical plans. She knew the C/O would not be happy about Tim's sister being in the room, but Callie honestly couldn't give two shits about what he thought. Arizona was one of the finest surgeons in the country, and to have her consult on the case was a god-send. Teddy looked over Tim's chart and was also worried about the possible infection and the implications on his heart. She breathed a sigh of relief with the cardio attending dropped by the results of her consult. She looked over every result five times before agreeing with the attending that his heart and lungs should both be fine as long as he went into surgery within the next 24 hours.

Moments later, a short, stout man knocked on the door and stepped inside. "Hello? Are you Dr. Torres?"

Callie paused and looked to Arizona with a shrug. "Yes, I'm Dr. Torres. Do you need the room? I was told I could have it for the day…"

The man shook his head. "Oh, no! Nothing like that. I'm sorry… let me introduce myself. I'm Dr. Berg, the attending Orthopedic surgeon here at Walter Reid. I just didn't believe it when they told me _the_ Dr. Calliope Torres would be in the building today. It's an honor." He reached out his hand.

She shook it firmly and smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Dr. Berg. I take it you have heard about the case I'll be working on this afternoon?"

He scratched his head as he looked over to the board where Tim's scans were hung. "Oh, yes. Such a tragic story… but one we hear too often. Soldiers are brave. And bravery means broken bones. Are these his scans?"

Callie nodded and pointed to the scan of Tim's femur. "Do you see here? I was just discussing this break with my colleagues. It's a complicated fracture… It will require an extensive amount of attention to fix."

The man shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Oh, no. There's no fixing that. I've seen fractures this bad a hundred times. You'll have to amputate." Callie turned sharply to stare at him, but he didn't notice. "It's a shame it's so high up, he'll lose the whole leg." He clicked his tongue again.

Callie could **not** believe this man. He just came walking in to HER planning room and was telling HER how to treat HER patient! And he was WRONG. Her nostrils flared as she crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"

The surgeon turned and jolted back at the intensity of Callie's glare. "Oh, I'm sorry Dr. Torres. I'm sure this is the first time you've seen injuries this extensive. You'll see when you get inside. There's no saving this leg. If you'd like, I could assist you in the amputation."

Callie's eyes widened and she shifted her weight and cocked her hip. "I don't believe I asked for your opinion, Dr. Berg. For your information, however, I _have_ seen injuries this extensive. In fact, I've seen worse and I've repaired every. single. one. There is absolutely **no** reason to amputate this man's leg!" She paused and shifted her weight to her other leg. "If you'd care to watch me save this man's life, feel free to do so from the gallery, but don't you **dare** take a single step into _my_ O.R."

A drop of sweat rolled down the man's hairline as all of the blood drained from his face. He cleared his throat and quickly spun around and left the room, never to be seen again.

Callie stayed staring at the spot where he had stood and attempted to calm her breathing. Arizona tentatively reached to touch her arm. Her fingers barely grazed her elbow and Callie jumped, pulling away from her. She looked at Arizona, the protective anger still boiling within her.

Her blue eyes squinted. "Callie? Are you okay?"

She looked down and forced her eyes closed. She curled her fingers into fists and then stretched her hand out repeatedly. Arizona reached back out and wrapped her hand around Callie's bicep. She gave it a gentle squeeze, drawing Callie away from her internal rage. Her eyes drifted up until they caught her favorite blue eyes looking back at her, calming her. "I'm okay. Ignorance just really pisses me off. I can't believe that man is in charge here! Especially if he's been hacking off perfectly good limbs…" Callie looked back over to the board and grimaced.

Arizona nodded. "Not everyone is as good as my fiancée…" She winked and walked over to the board. She traced her finger along the line that was her brother's femur and sighed. Callie hesitated, but took a deep breath and walked over to Arizona then wrapped her arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. "What're you thinking?"

Arizona leaned into the embrace with a sigh. "He had to go and be a damn hero."

Teddy laughed, and soon Callie and Arizona joined in. "He did, didn't he? That little shit."

Arizona shook her head. "I'm gonna kick his ass so hard."

"Get in line!" Teddy sighed. The tension in the air from Dr. Berg's little visit had finally broken, and she needed air. "I'm gonna go grab some coffee. Callie, you should probably get some sleep before surgery."

Callie nodded and stepped back. "You're right. Arizona, want to go find an on-call room?"

"I said _sleep_, Callie." Teddy pointed her finger at them.

"Yeah, I know, Teddy! I'll be able to fall asleep faster if Arizona is there."

"It's true. She'll fall asleep immediately." Arizona snaked her arm around Callie's waist.

"Okay. Well, good luck in surgery, Cal. Do you want us up in the observation room?"

Callie thought briefly before deciding. "No, I'll come out right before I go in and meet with you guys, but I need to be alone in there, and you need to be with Mr. and Mrs. Robbins."

Teddy nodded and gave Callie a hug. "See you in a few hours." She gave Arizona a hug then left to find a coffee cart.

"You go ask a nurse where the nearest on-call room is and I'll go check on Tim then meet you back at the nurse's station when I'm done." Callie kissed Arizona briefly before heading off in the direction of Tim's room.

* * *

She knocked and stepped in as Tim rubbed sleep from his eyes with his good hand. "Hey Cal. So you got that plan ready for me?"

She stood at the end of his bed with a smile on her face. "I've got it. Arizona and Teddy helped, too."

Tim smiled. "Wow, really?"

Callie nodded. "They were pissed you wouldn't let them come see you. They're worried sick about you."

Tim rubbed the back of his head. "Well they shouldn't be. I've got the famous Dr. Torres working on me. I'll be fine."

Callie nonchalantly put the scans down on the table and waved her hand in the air. "That's what I told them, but they were all Dr. Who? Guess I'm not as famous as I think I am."

Tim laughed, but hissed and stopped as pain shot through his ribs. "Ow, don't make me laugh Torres. That shit hurts."

Callie walked over and gently placed a palm on his side, feeling along his ribs. He lifted his arm to give her better access and watched as skilled fingers traced along exactly where it hurt. "Ooh, yeah, there it is."

Tim put his arm down as she stepped away, looking back at one of the scans. "How'd you do that?"

Callie turned. "Do what?"

"Find exactly where it hurt! I haven't been able to even find it."

"I'm the famous Dr. Torres, remember?" She winked. "Alright, so here's the plan."

* * *

Callie closed the door behind them, locking it to make sure no one would interrupt them. She needed to sleep. Arizona unfolded the sheets and slipped in first, Callie following her and pressing her back to Arizona's chest. The blonde ran her fingers through her raven hair and lightly massaged her scalp.

"Is Tim ready for this?" Arizona couldn't help but worry about him.

"Yeah, he's definitely ready. He was cracking jokes and everything." Callie closed her eyes and nestled into Arizona's arms.

"I wish he would let us see him."

"I know. He doesn't want you to have to remember him like this, though."

Arizona shifted to hold her closer. "You have to remember him like that."

Images of his broken body filled her mind. "Yeah." She took a deep breath. "I don't see the shattered bones though like you would. I see repairs waiting to happen. I can see the bones being pieced back together. It's like seeing the finished puzzle while you're still staring at the pieces."

Arizona kissed her head. "That's why I love you." A smile spread across Callie's lips. "You're my hero, Calliope." She continued running her fingers through her future wife's raven hair and decided to hum Sofia's favorite lullaby to her. Before she knew it, Callie's breathing evened out as she fell into a deep slumber.

She held her for the next few minutes as sleep finally tempted her eyelids to close. Her thoughts drifted from fear to confidence to pride in her fiancée before falling on thankfulness. Somehow, her brother's life had been saved by the one man she had ever hated, and now his livelihood was going to be saved by the one woman she had ever loved. She fought to keep her eyes open, but soon the comforting darkness of sleep filled her conscious.


	31. Ch 31: Oorah!

**AN**: Thank you guys for such an awesome response with the last few chapters. I now have over 200 followers on this story and that really just blows me away. You guys are incredible!

I just re-read this story and I almost cringed at the first few chapters… I feel like I've grown a lot and learned a lot as a writer with this story, and your comments/feedback has really helped with that. Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 31: Oorah!

Callie's pager woke the sleeping couple half an hour before Tim's surgery. Callie turned and kissed Arizona, just like she had done every morning for the last 9 months. "Good morning, beautiful."

Arizona smiled at their routine. Even if it wasn't actually morning, they still greeted each other the same way when they woke in each other's arms. "Good morning, gorgeous." She kissed her again. "Ready to do this?"

Callie nodded. "I need one of your Dad's super crazy strength hugs first."

Arizona laughed. "His what?"

"His super crazy strength hugs! Don't tell me you've never had a hug from him that made you feel like you could conquer the planet."

"Oh! You mean his 'I'll love you and be proud of you no matter what' hugs?" Arizona laughed. "At least, that's what I used to call them."

Callie rolled her eyes. "I like my name better." She jumped up from the bed, stretching her back. She looked down with wide eyes. "Is that thing a Tempur-Pedic? It totally is! Damn, I haven't slept that well in years…"

Arizona stretched. "Seriously, Calliope, we need to buy one of these."

"No kidding. Come on; let's go drop you off with your family." She took her hand and led her towards the waiting room.

She explained the general outline of the operation, promising to send nurses out as often as possible during the lengthy surgery. Arizona held her hand through the entire explanation, her grip so strong her knuckles were white. Callie didn't even flinch, though; she held on just as tight. Nerves were wracking her body; the same thought racing across her mind: _this is the most important surgery of your life_. As soon as Callie finished explaining, she took a deep breath and looked to Arizona. The blonde didn't let go of her hand; she wasn't ready to face that the surgery was actually happening. Suddenly, Teddy's arms wrapped around her neck in a powerful embrace, making her stumble backwards. Callie's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly eased into the hug, one arm wrapping around the surgeon while her other hand was still entwined in her fiancée's.

Teddy stepped back and took Sofia, freeing Barb's arms. She wrapped Callie in a hug and kissed her cheek. She held Callie's shoulders at arm's length and smiled. "You are such a blessing to our family, Callie. Thank you so much."

Callie's face reddened as she felt Arizona give her hand a squeeze. The Colonel stepped forward and engulfed her in a powerful embrace. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes. She let the feeling of complete power and safety overwhelm her thoughts and calm her nerves. Arizona dropped her hand, and she instantly wrapped her arms around her future father in-law. He gave her a final squeeze and smiled as he stepped back. Her signature mega-watt smile erupted across her face as she looked excitedly to Arizona. She flung her arms around her and kissed her swiftly.

Arizona smiled back as she took Sofia from Teddy, settling her against her hip. Callie leaned forward and kissed her on her head then kissed Arizona again. "I love you," was the only thing Arizona said to her. She thought of so many other things to say the whole walk back to the waiting room from their nap. She had repeated over and over again different words of encouragement to calm Callie's nerves; something to let her know that she believed in her so, so much and trusted her completely. As soon as Callie's beautiful brown eyes locked on her baby blues, everything she had planned flew out of the window of her mind. The only thing she could think to say were those three simple words.

In those three words, Callie's confidence locked in place. She could do this. She squeezed Arizona's hands and with unwavering tone answered, "I love you too." She turned on her heel to face the rest of her family with a wide smile. "I'll see you all in a few hours!" She bounced and walked towards the surgical wing, power driving her every step.

"Hey, Tim! You ready to do this thing?!" She grabbed his chart to check his vitals for the last four hours. They had stayed strong, and she looked up to see that he was smiling back at her.

"Damn straight, Torres! LET'S DO THIS!" He gave an Army 'Oorah!' and was met with a chorus of responses from the rooms lining the hallways on the way to the elevator.

* * *

The surgery was a marathon. It was a new environment she had never worked in before, and nurses she had never worked with before. She never realized how much of a comfort her favorite scrub nurses were. Nerves started to flutter in her stomach again, mixing with the adrenaline of the start of a difficult surgery. She took a deep breath and looked around at the expectant faces. She saw the perfect opportunity to steal Shepherd's famous line just before she made the first cut. She looked around at all of the strangers faces she was trusting to help her save her future brother-in-law's life and smiled; "Alright everybody, it's a beautiful day to save lives."

She had nurses send news every half hour to the family, and she made sure another nurse reminded her to stretch every hour on the hour. She only took one bathroom break, but she never lost focus. She was able to keep the passion and fight in her by knowing it was Tim under her knife, but was able to separate her emotions by thinking of them as just bones from a patient. She displayed the perfect balance of expertise and skill throughout the whole surgery.

It took her 12 hours to finish slowly piecing back together each and every single fracture in his legs, arms, and ribs. He had more titanium in his legs than he did bone, but he was finally put back together. It had been excruciatingly slow work, the bones nearly shattered to pieces. The X-Rays really didn't do these injuries justice… She understood now what Dr. Berg meant by 'you'll see when you get inside'. She hesitated on his right femur; it was in much worse condition than she thought. She grimaced, realizing her original plan wasn't going to work. Panic started to rise in her stomach, so she forced herself to take a step back and breathe. She looked at the bone from a different angle, and suddenly a new game plan flew into her mind. She allowed herself a cocky smile. _I'm Dr. Callie Torres, bitches… step back. Ortho God's in the room. _

After finishing reconstructing his legs and right hip, she had his arm open in front of her. She inspected the muscle, ligaments, and nerves carefully… her gut told her she needed to look closely. Her eyes repeatedly scanned his exposed arm until she noticed that one of the nerves connecting to his hand had somehow been severed. She had a feeling his hand was going to give her issues. She took a step back and stretched as she thought about the best solution. She took her time searching her brain for every possible procedure to fix his hand. Suddenly, she remembered an experimental study she had read a week before about nerve repair and realized the technique should work perfectly. She took a deep breath and went back to work. If the studies were right, he would recover completely with full use of his hand in the matter of weeks.

It had taken two hours to do the final repairs. She looked up at the clock for the first time, seeing that 14 hours had passed. It was almost 4 o'clock in the morning and she felt it. She sent a nurse to tell the family she was closing and that she'd be out to give them news as soon as she could. She closed him up, took a deep breath, and stepped back. Suddenly the entire OR broke into applause. She looked around and nodded, accepting the praise. She had done damn fine work; her best.

* * *

Arizona was pacing in the waiting room. Teddy had a sleeping Sofia on her lap, and Barb and the Colonel sat with their hands locked. Teddy and Arizona had switched places a few times during the course of the surgery. George had come out with cups of coffee for everyone, surprising Arizona. His eyes fell to Sofia, falling asleep against her chest. She knew George was her father, but the words from his Christmas letter wouldn't stop ringing in her mind. She instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around the little girl protectively. He grimaced before quickly turning around and heading back down the hallway without saying a word.

Every time a nurse came out, it was more good news. It helped to hear how impressed they were with Callie. They had never seen someone work so intensely; Arizona could almost see her bent over Tim in concentration. Watching Callie work was incredible. It didn't do much to calm her nerves, though. Around 2 o'clock in the morning, the nurse came out saying that there was some unexpected nerve damage in his hand that Callie was currently working on fixing. This worried Teddy and her parents, but Arizona knew Callie had just spent some time researching nerve repair for one of her patients. She knew that she would be able to draw from the papers and that she would know what to do. Hour 14 of the surgery rolled around and they finally received news that she was closing and that she would be with them shortly.

* * *

Arizona's eyes stayed locked on the door to the OR hallway, her knee bouncing uncontrollably. She knew it took about 45 minutes to close on a surgery like this one, and it had been 43 minutes since the last nurse. Her heart was racing as she waited for her Calliope to come bursting through the doors.

Callie had never been so excited to tell a family that a surgery went well in her entire life. She nearly ran out of the room as she scrubbed out of the surgery, but she was able to keep a professional calm. When she locked eyes with Arizona though, she couldn't stop herself. She ran from the OR hallway doors straight into her arms and held on tight. The whole family surrounded her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

She stepped back, still holding Arizona in her arms. "He did great! I think that was probably the best surgery I've ever done." Teddy's hand flew to her chest as tears of relief streamed down her face. Barb grabbed onto the Colonel, laughing and crying. Arizona couldn't stop the smile bolting across her face as she jumped up to give her a kiss.

Callie smiled before clearing her throat to address the whole family again. "He'll need a few months of physical therapy…" She looked into Arizona's eyes. "But he'll dance like hell at our wedding."

Arizona threw her arms around Callie's neck. "Thank you, Calliope. Thank you so much."

Barb wrapped them both in a giant hug. "Callie, dear. I don't even know what to say. Thank you so much!" Callie smiled and looked up to see a tear running down the Colonel's face. He took a deep breath and gave a sharp nod. There weren't words for what he wanted to say, but Callie felt it. She nodded back and turned to Teddy who was in a fit of a mix of laughing and crying. She had a huge smile across her face, and was hugging Sofia as if her life depended on it. Callie took a deep breath as she realized she had done it. She saved her family; exhaustion suddenly fell across her like a ton of bricks.

"Arizona?" The Colonel pulled Barb away and into his arms and the blonde looked up to Callie.

"Yes?"

"I'm exhausted. I need to stay here at the hospital, just in case Tim needs me. Can you take Sofia to our hotel room?" Arizona paused and looked to her parents. She didn't want to leave, but she wasn't sure how to ask if they'd take her instead.

Barb caught the look and looked up to her husband. He cleared his throat. "Callie, if it's alright, we can take Sofia with us for the night. I think Arizona would like to stay here with you."

She looked down at the blonde in her arms and smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you." She walked over to take Sofia from Teddy's arms. She kissed her cheek and rocked her against her chest. "Mama is going to stay with Mami tonight, okay baby girl? Have fun with Pop and Gigi and be good, okay?" Sofia's eyes were heavy with sleep. She kissed her head and handed her to Barb. "Thank you, you guys. I'll give you a call tomorrow morning when Tim is up and ready for visitors."

The Colonel wrapped his arms around her again. "Thanks, darlin'. Good night." He kissed the top of her head and walked over to give Arizona a kiss on the cheek. "You two sleep well." He reached his hand out to Teddy. "Come on soldier, we'll come back in the morning." Teddy stood up and took his hand. She looked over her shoulder at Callie and Arizona with a shocked expression on her face at the sudden acceptance and sign of affection from the Colonel. Arizona laughed and waved as they left the waiting room.

Callie wrapped her arm around Arizona's waist. "You just wanted to sleep on the Tempur-Pedic again, didn't you?"

Arizona laughed. "Maybe."

Callie's eyebrow arched. "Or maybe you wanted to celebrate?"

Arizona grabbed her hand and quickened her pace towards the on-call room they found earlier. "My fiancée's a fucking superstar who just saved my brother's life. Celebrate doesn't even begin to describe what's happening tonight, Calliope."

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind them, Arizona had Callie thrown against the door. She pressed herself roughly against her and captured her lips in her own. Callie moaned immediately into the kiss, the pain from the doorknob slamming into her back completely forgotten. They kicked both of their shoes off, flinging them to opposite sides of the room. She pushed back against Arizona, wanting to find the comfort of the bed, but the blonde forced her back against the door. Her tongue roughly entered the Latina's mouth, twisting hungrily with her own. She had never seen the blonde so intense or powerful; it was hot… ridiculously hot.

Arizona pressed her leg between Callie's and lifted it upwards to meet her center. She smiled when she felt Callie grinding against it, begging for more friction. A good surgery always meant good sex; a surgery this incredible was sending both of them into a frenzy. Her hands cupped Callie's perfectly full and soft breasts, massaging them roughly. Callie moaned and clawed at Arizona's back. Her fingers found the hem of her shirt and tugged on it. Arizona lifted her arms quickly so that her shirt could be pulled off. She took the second that they were separated to strip Callie of her scrub top, evening the playing field.

Callie stepped to the side and spun them, crashing Arizona against the door. She breathed in sharply as she leaned back in to meet Arizona's lips in a fiery passion. Her chest was already heaving up and down with every strangled breath. Their hands wandered across each other's bodies and chests, scraping, clawing, tugging, begging for more contact. Arizona pushed Callie farther back towards the bed, undoing her bra on the way to let her full breasts fall freely. Her hands immediately reached, tugging on each of her nipples. Callie squeaked but moaned as Arizona's tugging morphed into a skilled massage.

Arizona threw her onto the bed and immediately pulled off her scrub pants and underwear in one movement. She removed all of her clothing and crawled on top of the Latina, fervently pressing their mouths together. She grabbed one of Callie's hands, entwining their fingers above her head. She traced her other hand down to her center, palming it and rubbing in slow circles. Her hips immediately met the touch, rocking into every movement. "Oh, God… Arizona…" Callie moaned. "Oh, fuck…"

Arizona bit Callie's lower lip, pulling it as she separated their kiss. She nibbled and sucked along her jaw line, pausing on her pulse point. She licked it, eliciting a gasp from the writhing woman underneath her. She smiled as she placed her lips securely around the spot that she knew made her scream and sucked and bit down gently. Callie continued squirming, rocking her hips more violently into Arizona's hand. "Arizona, please. Fuck… Arizona…" Callie bucked her hips as Arizona's thumb met her clit briefly. She leaned forward to whisper into Callie's ear. "I love the way you moan my name, Calliope." Callie whimpered as Arizona brushed her thumb against her clit again. "Say it again…" Arizona nibbled Callie's earlobe.

Her breath caught as she struggled to utter a breathy moan. "Arizona…" Callie gasped as fingers shot roughly into her. Her grip on Arizona's hand grew stronger and her other hand reached down to grab hold of the sheets. Arizona continued pounding into her, curling and massaging her walls with every thrust. Her cries grew shorter and higher pitched.

"My name, Calliope…" Arizona's breath was ragged.

"Arizona! Unnngggg! Arrriizzooo—" Callie's cry was cut off as her body started to quake. Her head shot back as her legs instinctively pulled back towards her head. Arizona shifted forward, taking advantage of the new position. She leaned forward to kiss Callie then latched her lips around one of her nipples, flicking it with her tongue. She added more power behind every thrust and quickened the pace. Callie shook as a powerful orgasm started to build. "Fuck! Arizona! Gah!" Callie released her hold on the sheets and grabbed at Arizona's back, dragging her nails across her skin.

Arizona's wrist started to ache. She adjusted slightly to gain a better angle, and released Callie's nipple with a pop. She watched as Callie's eyes shot open and met her own. She mouth shot open as silent gasps fell from her lips. Her walls wrapped around her fingers, pulling them farther in. Callie lurched forwards, her muscles contracting. "OH!" Callie screamed. Arizona held her fingers still then started to slowly massage her walls. They tightened instantly in pulses. "OH FUCK! ARIZONA!" Callie lurched forward again, pausing mid air then collapsed onto the bed. Her toes curled as she felt her release wash through her. She closed her eyes as wave after wave of pleasure crashed into her.

Arizona slowly moved her fingers in and out of Callie, matching the slowing pulsating of her orgasm falling. It took nearly a minute before they stopped; her body finally calming. She pulled her fingers out and briefly moved them across her still sensitive nub, causing her entire body to jerk. Callie's eyes opened just as Arizona stuck her fingers in her mouth, closing her eyes in ecstasy, tasting her woman. Her eyes flickered back closed, a dumb smile tugging at her mouth.

The blond lowered Callie's legs back to the bed and crawled up to lay along Callie's side, gently laying her hand across her stomach. Callie's eyes stayed closed, her peaceful smile lingering as the stress from the last two days melted away and exhaustion overwhelmed her.

"Calliope?" Arizona's voice was quiet and weak. Her finger traced small circles across her love's stomach.

"Mmph?" She couldn't quite form words yet, but a grunt should suffice.

"Thank you."

Callie's eyes drifted open and met Arizona's. She leaned forward and kissed her slowly and gently. "You're welcome." She kissed her again and let her fall. "I love you, Arizona. Thank you for trusting me."

Arizona moved closer, laying her head on her chest. Her blonde hair fell across her chest and stomach, tickling the Latina's still sensitive skin. "Always." She adjusted, wrapping their legs together, trying to get impossibly closer. "I love you, Calliope." Her eyes closed as they both drifted off into a calm and deep sleep, the horror of the past two days finally behind them.

* * *

**AN:** So, what do you guys think? Callie's pretty much a badass, right!? Let me know what you thought in reviews/comments… I love getting feedback :]


	32. Ch 32: The Gut Feeling

Ch. 32: The Gut Feeling

Callie woke up before her fiancée, which was different for them. Usually Callie slept in much later than the blonde. But this morning, she had to check on Tim and she had a feeling in her gut that something wasn't quite right with her patient. She had gone over the surgery in her mind so many times, but she had done everything right; it was a flawless procedure. She just needed to go see Tim and put this stupid feeling to rest. Everything was finally okay, why couldn't her body just accept that? She stretched and kissed Arizona's soft lips. "Good morning beautiful."

Arizona's eyes stayed shut, but a smile crept across her face. "Good morning gorgeous."

"I need to go check on Tim. You want to go see if you can find a coffee cart?" She sat up, stretching her aching muscles. She would kill for a hot shower right about now, but a coffee would be wonderful, too.

Arizona reached over, laying her head on Callie's shoulder. She placed a trail of gentle kisses along her neck and nibbled on her earlobe. Callie moaned and leaned back into the blonde. "Sure. They won't let me back in until visiting hours start, though."

Callie stood up and reached her hand out to pull Arizona flush against her. She kissed her lips softly. "Good point. We'll go together and then you can wait in the waiting room while I check on Tim."

They walked around for a while before one of the nurses recognized Callie and stopped them to chat.

"Dr. Torres!" Callie spun and recognized the brunette as one of the scrub nurses from Tim's surgery.

"Good morning!" She pulled Arizona close to her side and squeezed her hand.

"Congratulations on the successful surgery last night. It was an honor to watch you work." The nurse blushed.

Callie smiled sweetly. "Well, thank you, and thank you for all your hard work. You have a wonderful staff here." Arizona cleared her throat. "Oh, do you think you could point my fiancée and me towards the direction of the nearest coffee cart? We could really use some caffeine."

The nurse's eyebrow rose at the mention of Arizona being her fiancée, but her face neutralized quickly. She pointed towards a set of doors at the end of the hallway. "Of course. Straight through those doors and it's on your right. Tell him Caroline sent you and you'll get a discount." She winked and went back to her work.

Arizona looked to Callie with an accusing glare. "What was that?"

Callie shrugged. "I have no idea. She was one of the scrub nurses from last night, but did you see that? I think she was hitting on me."

Arizona laughed. "She was definitely hitting on you. I don't like her."

Callie bumped her hip with Arizona's. "You're jealous!"

The blonde looked at Callie, offended. "No I am not!"

Callie stopped walking and dropped her hand. "You totally are! Arizona Robbins, you are jealous of her!"

Arizona grabbed Callie's hand, dragging her forward. "Oh, shut up. I just need some coffee."

Callie smirked and shook her head as they continued their quest for their morning cup of joy.

* * *

Callie took a deep breath as she knocked gently on Tim's door and stepped in. "Morning starshine, the Earth says hello!"

Tim groaned. "Good Lord, Torres… what'd you do? Hit me with a truck?"

Callie chuckled. "No, that was all you. Feeling a bit stiff?"

Tim tried to sit up, but winced and fell back to his bed. "A bit."

She walked over and used the switches on the side of the bed to sit him up. "How's that?" She readjusted his pillows and took a seat next to him.

"Better. Thanks, Cal." He looked around. "Where is everyone? They didn't want to see my shining face?"

Callie laughed. "No, visiting hours don't start for another hour."

"Never stopped them before…" He looked out the window, expecting to see his little sister rolling down the hallway towards his door.

"They'll be here soon. I wanted to check in on you first to see how you were doing and make sure you were ready for visitors. Gotta do some basic tests, you know… doctor stuff." She got up and reached for his chart to check his overnight vitals. Everything looked like it was alright… maybe her gut was wrong. It'd be a first, but she'd be willing to let it be wrong just this once.

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're more than just my sister or whatever." He laughed and his eyes popped open in amazement. "Hey! It didn't hurt!"

Callie smiled up at him from his chart. "Good! That's test one. Can you wiggle your toes for me?" She pulled the blanket away from his feet and smiled again as she saw all ten of his toes moving back and forth. "Perfect. Okay, this next one is gonna hurt, but I need to you try and bend your knees for me."

He winced as he lifted his legs and bent his knees. "Ooo, yeah, that hurts."

She nodded and wrote a note down on his chart. "Okay, it looks like my beautiful work here is done. How's your pain level?"

He shrugged. "It's not as bad as before the surgery, but I just sort of ache all over." He grabbed for the IV bags. "They've got me on the good stuff, though."

"I'll get them to up the dosage." She winked. "Alright, I'm gonna go get you set up with physical therapy and go call your parents. See you in a bit." She turned to leave.

"Wait! Cal!" She spun back around.

"Yeah?"

"Come give your loser brother a hug."

Callie chuckled and walked over, carefully wrapping an arm around him. "Thanks for making it home alive."

"Thanks for helping me." Tim let her go. "Also, coffee wouldn't hurt your cause towards favorite sister. Just sayin."

Callie laughed and headed towards the door. "I'll have Teddy come up with some before your parents get here. How's that?"

Tim's lips spread into a huge smile. "Favorite sister forever! Done!"

* * *

Callie laughed as she left the room and walked towards the security box to grab her phone. She dialed Teddy's number and smiled at her friend's groggy half awake voice. "Morning, Teddy."

"Oh, hey, Callie! How's Tim?" She yawned and stretched her legs out.

"He's up and waiting for you. He asked you to bring him a cup of coffee." She stepped out into the waiting room and looked around for a sign of Arizona.

Teddy laughed. "Alright. What about you? I'll stop at the Starbucks in the lobby. Damn! These beds are comfy." She stood up to head to the bathroom.

"Starbucks sounds amazing. I'll text you our order once I find Arizona. She's gotta be around here somewh– " Her voice caught when her eyes finally fell across her fiancée. She was sitting next to George with tears running down her face. "Hey, Teddy, I gotta go. I'll text you."

"What? Okay. Tell Arizona I said hi."

Callie ended the call and walked up to her future wife and ex-husband.

"Arizona?" The blonde looked up and immediately glanced to George. He stood up quickly and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Arizona, are you okay?" She locked eyes with George, threatening him to move.

"What?" Arizona looked up confused when she realized she was crying. "Oh! Yeah! Calliope, I'm fine. Sit down. George was just telling me about what happened."

"Actually, I should go…" George looked back towards the hallway leading to the patients' rooms.

Callie took a deep breath. She couldn't believe what she was about to say. "No, stay. I'd like to hear about it."

George looked over with a cautious smile. "Really?"

Callie sat down next to Arizona and took her hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. "Yeah. I got the basics, but those injuries were more than what just a small car bomb can do."

George sat down with an exasperated laugh. "Actually, no. That's exactly what a car bomb can do. It's insane over there, Cal. I can't even tell you how many people I've almost lost over there in the last month. It's like the worst day in an ER times ten every single day."

Once he started talking, he just couldn't stop. He had a captive audience in both Callie and Arizona as they listened to his stories of war heroes being injured in some of the most gruesome ways. He had to stop when he finally led up to Tim's accident. "Tim has become one of my best friends over there. He's a great guy, but I guess I don't really need to tell you that."

Arizona looked to Callie and they nodded in unison.

"He really watches out for me, and I watch out for him. So when we walked in to town that day, I was right by his side. I told him not to get that kid out of the back of the car, but he said he had to." George shook his head and a tear fell down Arizona's cheek. "He said he had to because if it was his son, he would risk everything for him. He ran back in and tried so hard to get him free, but he was stuck. I kept screaming at him to get out and that it was gonna blow. I took cover as soon as I saw him pull the kid free." He took a deep breath. "I've never been that close to an explosion."

He stopped and shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "I, uh… Yeah."

Arizona reached over and put her hand on his knee. "You don't have to talk about the rest."

George nodded and stood up to walk away. Callie got up and wrapped her arms around him. He went rigid, frozen to his spot. Arizona watched, wiping the tears from her face. Slowly, he accepted the embrace and leaned into her. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder. "Cal, I am so sorry. I should have stopped him."

"There's no stopping a Robbins once they've made up their mind. But you were there to keep him from dying, so thank you."

He pulled away and gave a weak smile. "Don't thank me." He nodded towards Arizona and walked away.

Arizona came up behind Callie and took her hand. "I don't think I can hate him anymore."

Callie chuckled and wiped away the tears that had been falling down her cheek. "Yeah, me either. I don't have to like him though." No matter how much she appreciated him for saving Tim, she couldn't stop the fiery anger from building in the pit of her stomach every time she saw him. It always made her mind flood with the memories of aching and crying, filled in a world of pain and darkness. She could appreciate him for saving Tim's life, but she couldn't just forget what he did to her.

Teddy showed up half an hour later with coffee for the four of them, and after dropping off Callie's and Arizona's, went to sign in at the front desk.

"Want to go raid the gift shop while Teddy goes to say hi?"

"UHM, YES!" Arizona grabbed her hand and ran to the gift shop.

* * *

Barbara and the Colonel arrived with Sofia an hour later. "Girls, don't you think you've gone just a bit overboard?" Barb looked at the huge bunch of balloons and giant stuffed panda they bought as well as the box of chocolates, both bouquets of flowers, and the giant card that the Colonel was currently signing. He gave the pen to Sofia who immediately giggled and dragged it across the entire card.

"What? This? This is nothing." Callie laughed. "Arizona was going to buy the entire shop until I stopped her."

Arizona poked her head around the bunch of balloons she was carrying. "What? Did you say my name?"

"No, honey. Go back to your balloon land." Callie laughed and leaned in to kiss her.

Barb signed the card and tucked it under her arm. "Alright, let's go see him!"

Callie took the lead since she already knew her way to his room, and she wanted to give the two love birds fair warning that the parents were on the way. She knocked loudly on the door before poking her head in to see Teddy jumping off the bed and adjusting her clothes. She waited for a thumbs-up before opening the door the whole way, letting in the Robbins Clan.

"TIM!" Arizona had tried to mentally prepare herself for seeing her brother in a hospital bed, but she honestly hadn't been able to even fully imagine it. She ran into the room, letting go of the balloons she had been carrying. They scattered all over the room, filling the previously dark space with a bright festive atmosphere. She flung her arms around him, causing him to hiss in pain. She immediately shot up and winced. "Oh, sorry!"

He opened his arm back up and wrapped her in a hug. "Come here, little sister."

His voice broke her every resolve to not cry. Tears spilled down her face and she adjusted to kiss him on the cheek. "You scared the shit out of me, Timothy! Don't you **ever** do that to me again!"

He laughed and looked up to Callie for help. She shrugged and stepped back. Clearly, he was on his own. "I'm sorry! I had to, though."

"No you did not! I told you not to go. I told you something was wrong! But no one listened to the crazy crying girl!" Arizona shot a glare to Callie who looked around innocently.

"Well, I'm back now. And your girl over there took good care of me. So, stop worrying. It's over." He wiped the tears from her face. "It's all over now."

Arizona looked into the matching blue eyes of her brother and smiled, relief washing over her. He was really here; he was sitting there alive. He made it. Somehow, he made it back alive and whole. She nodded and hugged him again, burying her face in his shoulder.

The Colonel came up behind Arizona and patted his son on the shoulder. "Tim."

Tim looked up and smiled with a nod. "Dad."

"Good to have you home, son."

"Good to be home."

Barb was next; she was nearly bouncing with excitement when she got her turn to hug him. He blushed as she placed hundreds of kisses all over his face. "Mom! Stop!" She laughed and held his face between her palms. "I'm sorry honey, I was just so worried about you!" He nodded. "I know. But I'm alright, I promise! Callie and O'Malley took really good care of me." His eyes opened wide and he looked to his doctor, standing in the corner. "HA! CALLIE O'MALLEY!" He bust out laughing as Callie took a threatening step towards him. He held up his arms in surrender. "I'm sorry! I just… I can see why you kept Torres." Barb and the Colonel's eyebrows shot up. Callie suddenly realized that they still didn't know the connection that she and George shared.

"What do you mean? Callie, do you know Lieutenant O'Malley?" Barb questioned.

Callie looked around the room nervously… how was she going to explain? "Uhm… Well, yeah. He's my. Uh…"

Arizona stepped in. "He's Callie's ex-husband and Sofia's biological father, but he's been out of the picture for a long time." She grabbed Callie's hand and gave it a squeeze. Callie looked up, a silent thank you pouring from her eyes. Arizona gave a slight nod.

Barb's eyes widened and she let out a huff. "Well. That's really…" She looked to Callie and immediately her heart sank at seeing how nervous she looked. "Callie, honey…" She took a step forward and grabbed Callie's open hand. Callie's eyes flew up at the sudden touch. "Don't you ever be afraid to tell us anything. We love you and that will never change." Callie nodded.

"That explains why he kept staring at Sofia, here. I almost had a mind to take that man aside and give him a solid talking to." The Colonel's voice startled everyone out of the moment.

Callie chuckled. "He was staring at her?"

Everyone nodded. Arizona's face became unreadable to everyone except Callie. She knew that face and it was a dangerous one; Arizona clearly did not approve of how much George had been watching her daughter.

"Does he know about her?" Barb's voice was even and solid. Callie listened for a tone of judgment, but it wasn't there. This family was incredible.

Callie nodded. "Yeah, he enlisted and left us when she was four months old. He's always known about her, he just didn't care." She looked to Arizona and gave her hand a squeeze. "But that was a long time ago. I'm in a much better place now." A smile spread across her face as Arizona placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, I don't like the way he watches her, so I'm not letting him near her unless the both of you tell me otherwise." The Colonel's voice was solid, almost threatening.

"He does care." Tim's voice sliced through the tension rising in the air of his hospital room.

All eyes shot to him. His face was conflicted. "He… he cares about Sofia. I'm not saying he didn't mess up, but being out there, it puts life in perspective. And, well, I don't know." His voice fell and he closed his eyes, wincing. Callie took a step forward, eyes on his monitor. He opened his eyes and put his hand up, stopping her. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache."

Callie nodded, placing a gentle hand on his, stealthily taking his pulse. "Enough serious talk… Want to hear about the wedding?"

* * *

They sat and talked for a few hours, the wedding being the center of attention. They needed something to cheer them up and they finally had the chance to be together as a family and be happy. Callie watched as Tim's eyes began to fall and her eyes again became glued to his monitors. His heart rate and blood pressure were only slightly elevated, but his temperature was starting to rise. She began to become more nervous, and when Tim stopped responding to the conversation, she finally stood up and gathered her things. "How does lunch sound to everyone? I made a few friends from the nurses…" She winked to Arizona who scowled immediately. "I can go see what's good in the area." Everyone looked around and nodded. They shuffled out of the room. Callie waved them out, saying she forgot something and would meet them in the lobby.

She walked over to Tim's bedside and pulled up his chart again. She looked to the monitor then reached down to touch his forehead. He was burning up. "Tim? Tim can you hear me?"

He grimaced. "Yeah, can you keep it down though? Jesus, Cal."

Callie's heart started racing and she went into action. There was an infection somewhere. _Shit._ She checked all of the dressings and found that the incision on his arm was enflamed. She called a nurse in and ordered antibiotics and for his dressings to be changed. She adjusted his meds and increased his fluids and sat down next to him, eyes glued on his monitors waiting for his temperature to steadily come back down.

Her heart was pounding and her stomach was flipping in on itself. She held her abdomen, willing it to calm. She didn't blink; her eyes grew dry but she couldn't stop staring at the little digits holding at 102.4 degrees F. It was holding, that meant the medicine was starting to work. It was good that it was holding. Her knee started bouncing. The ticking of the clock echoed through his hospital room. _Please, Tim. Come on. Fight this._

102.3

She let loose the huge breath she had been holding. She stood up, pacing the room and watched as his temperature fell another tenth of a degree. She leaned over him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "I'll be right back, Tim. Keep fighting."

She left his room and walked towards the waiting room where the Robbins plus Sofia and Teddy were waiting. She mindlessly wrapped an arm around Arizona as she gave Teddy the name of a local restaurant Caroline had given her. "I'm not going to be able to come with, though. Dr. Berg has asked me to explain some parts of Tim's procedure to him, so I'm going to grab something from the cafeteria and hopefully help save some future limbs." She grimaced, thinking of how many men and women were without perfectly viable legs, just because she had never published her methods. She made a mental note to start working on a few papers.

Arizona kissed her on the cheek. "Alright, we'll be back in a few hours."

She say goodbye to everyone and turned to walk back to Tim's room. She fully intended on spending the entire time in Tim's room, watching over him, but maybe paging Dr. Berg to explain what she had done wouldn't be such a bad idea. She showed her credentials to the guard at the door to Tim's floor and stepped through the doors as a nurse ran past her with a crash cart. Her pager started beeping and her heart fell through her stomach. She looked down at her pager to see a '911' and looked up as another nurse ran into Tim's room with full arms. She heard George's voice ringing through the halls. She didn't know how or when they started, but her legs carried her to the entrance to the room. _No. No. **NO**._

* * *

**AN: **Don't kill me guys! You know you love it :P

Also, thoughts on George? We haven't seen the last of him… I feel like I really made his character a flat one, so I'm trying to round him out a little bit in these last few chapters. It's easy to hate someone and I hate when things are easy. Don't worry though, guys. You don't have to like him. I don't like him.


	33. Ch 33: The Fishing Trip

Ch. 33: The Fishing Trip

"CHARGE TO 300! – CLEAR!" George's voice boomed through the room and into the hallway. Callie stood out of the way against the doorframe, a hand over her mouth suppressing the screams of panic rising inside her throat.

Tim's body jolted upwards as the electricity coursed through him, gripping onto every muscle and aiming for his heart. The room stood in silence as they waited for the monitors to show a heartbeat. Five seconds passed; still no heartbeat.

"CHARGE TO 350! – CLEAR!" George placed the paddles and gave Tim's body another shock, eyes glued on the monitors. Still, the line remained flat, a solid beep echoing through the room. Tears streamed down Callie's face as her heart raced, willing to give some of its energy to the lifeless body on the hospital bed.

"CHARGE AGAIN! – CLEAR!" Another shock ran through the body, still nothing. George's shoulders sank as he waited another five seconds to pass. He stepped back and looked to his watch.

_NO! NO HE ISN'T DONE FIGHTING YET! _Callie's stomach flipped in on itself. _DO SOMETHING, TORRES! YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! _She pushed past the nurses and started screaming. "CHARGE AGAIN, GEORGE! DO IT!" George's eyes met Callie's with a sympathetic look.

"Cal, he's gone…"

"NO! HE'S NOT! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!" George's eyes fell in surrender. "GIVE ME THOSE PADDLES!" Callie reached across and tore the paddles from George's hands. She rubbed them together and placed them along his chest. "CHARGE TO 350!" No one moved. Callie shot a glare at the nurses who looked to George. She stared at George, pleading for him to not give up.

"Callie, I'm sorry…"

"SHUT UP, GEORGE!" She glared at the nurses. "Charge. To. 350." Anger was rippling out of her. Tim only had precious seconds left and the nurses were disobeying her… his DOCTOR. And why? Because she didn't wear a fucking uniform and have a fucking rank. She huffed and pushed the nurse manning the crash cart out of the way. She pressed the buttons, charging the paddles and sent a shock through his body.

The air in the room stilled as she watched the monitor. _Come on, Tim. Come back. Don't you dare do this to me._ The clock's ticks echoed through the room. The monitor held a solid beep.

"Fuck. Charge to 400!" Again no one moved. She reached across and pressed the buttons charging the paddles. She gave Tim's body another jolt.

Callie stared at Tim's face. _Fuck those monitors. Come on, Tim._ "Tim, come back to me! Come back to Arizona! And you parents! And Teddy! And Sofia! DAMN IT, **TIM**!" Suddenly blue eyes shot open and met hers. He took a sharp, deep breath and fell back to the bed.

"FUCK!" He yelled. His eyes flew around the room and landed on Callie's. "What the fuck just happened!?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living." She gave a small smile then immediately glared at George. "And good question… What the fuck just happened, George?"

He shrank under her glare and took a step back. "Cal, I didn't know…" Tim took long, deep breaths and closed his eyes. Everything ached.

Rage ignited in the pit of her stomach. "Didn't know _what_, George!?"

"I didn't know you were treating an infection… He was due for his meds from earlier and I didn't see the note about the change in his drip, so I gave him the…" His voice dropped and he looked into Callie's eyes for the first time since he started talking. Tim opened his eyes and sat up on his elbows, watching George's confession. "Callie, I didn't know."

Rage was bubbling within her and had reached her surface. It was crawling along her skin and sparking across, sending flares of heat through her veins. "Get. Out." She stared at him with a piercing glare. The nurses quickly vacated the room, but George stayed standing in his spot. Tim watched as the room emptied and he collapsed back on to the bed, focusing on breathing evenly.

"Cal—"

"I SAID, GET THE **FUCK** OUT OF THIS ROOM!" Callie threw the paddles in her hands down on the table by Tim's bed, sending a loud crash ringing through the room. Tim's eyes shot open and he looked at Callie, but she didn't see him. All he saw was rage firing out of her like firecrackers. She started to shake as she willed herself to not reach across and beat George to a pulp.

George flinched backwards and started walking towards the door. Callie didn't watch him; she kept her eyes trained on the opposite side of the room. He paused and turned his head. "I'm—"

"**OUT!**" Callie's rage ignited into screams as she stormed to the door and slammed it into George's face. She started pacing across the room, her fingers tangling through her hair. Spanish spat from her lips as she wore a trail into the tile floor.

Tim watched with wide eyes, but decided on just settling in and watching the fiery Latina explode. He took a sip of water and chuckled to himself as he watched her go from the door to the window and back. A small smile cracked at his lips. "Well, I don't know what the hell you're saying, but it sounds like that little trip into the white light wasn't exactly supposed to happen."

Callie turned on her heel and shouted at him in Spanish. She threw her hands into the air in exclamation to her last statement and looked at him waiting for a response, as if he actually understood her question.

"Yeah… uhm, what?" Tim put his water down and cocked his head to the side.

She repeated the question again in Spanish. Tim chuckled and shook his head. He scooted to the side and tapped the edge of his bed with his hand, inviting her to sit. She walked over and gently sat, careful to avoid his mending body and the cords attached to it. He took her hand in his and looked purposefully into her eyes. "Okay, now in English…"

She gave a weak smile. "Yeah, sorry. I don't realize sometimes when I switch over."

"It's okay. Just tell me why I just went fishing with my granddad and talked about the meaning of life."

Callie's eyebrows creased and her eyes widened. "You did what?"

"I just told you. I was fishing with my granddad at our favorite lake. Except, my granddad's been dead for almost 15 years, Cal. Which means I was probably also dead… and considering you're my doctor, I think you need to tell me what just happened."

She swallowed, trying to wet her dry and scratchy throat. "Your heart stopped. George gave you meds that were prescribed before you were put on antibiotics and they had a negative reaction that caused your heart to fail." The color drained from his face and he looked to the door.

"O'Malley? He almost killed me?" His eyes shot frantically back and forth between the door and Callie's eyes.

Callie clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing. "Yes."

"What the…" Callie's grip tightened on his hands as they started to shake.

"It's okay, I got you back. They all tried to give up on you, but I knew you wouldn't stop fighting." Callie choked back tears and she tightened her grip on his hands even more.

His eyes focused in on hers as a single tear ran down his cheek. "I didn't stop fighting only because I knew you were the one on the other side and that you were fighting just as hard." He took a deep breath. "God, thank you so much Callie."

Callie dropped his hands and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. "Damn it Tim, stop trying to die on me!" She nestled her face in closer and he wrapped his arm around her.

"This last one wasn't exactly my fault." He chuckled as she pulled back and wiped the few rebel tears that fell from her face.

"Yeah, I guess not." She walked over to the end of his bed and pulled out his chart. She huffed as she saw her note that his meds had been altered and shook her head. "I knew I wrote it down. If he had just taken a **second** to check your chart, he would've seen that your meds changed. He had no business giving you that medication." She threw the chart down on the table and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go talk to the chief of surgery and defend myself for taking over the code. You're really not supposed to do that…" Her stomach rolled causing her voice to waver. "Shit, I'm going to be in so much trouble."

"For saving my life?" Tim pulled her focus to him. "Callie, you didn't do a single thing wrong. You saved me, and I will literally kill any person who tries to convince you that you were anything but a hero just now."

Callie's eyes softened and she walked back over to his bedside, wrapping Tim in a strong embrace. "Thanks, brother."

Tim chuckled and wrapped his good arm around her. "No, thank you." He buried his face in her shoulder and closed his eyes tightly. She broke away and walked towards the door.

Her hand wrapped around the doorknob when Tim's panicked voice stopped her in her tracks. "Wait!" Tim shouted.

Callie spun around looking to the monitors for a sign of something going wrong. Everything was normal; even his temperature had returned to a solid 98.6 degrees F. _Well, at least he kicked his infection._ She saw his face next, shadowed in panic, a drop of sweat lining his hairline. There were burns on his chest from the electricity that shot through the paddles that branched across his chest like lightning. She made a mental note to get some burn cream to calm the irritation.

"Callie, please… Don't leave me." She hesitated before taking a step back from the door. "Last time you left, I died. I don't want to die, Callie." A whimper erupted from his lips and a tear started to roll down his cheek. She crossed the room in two strides and quickly pulled him in, holding him to her chest. She rocked him gently back and forth, smoothing his hair. She shushed him as he started shaking; finally releasing all of the anxiety and stress he had been holding from the last few months.

He gripped onto her arms and scrub top as he completely fell apart in her embrace. "Shhh… Tim, you're okay now. You aren't going to die. You're okay. You're with me." She continued to rock him back and forth and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. Her shirt was soaked through with tears and probably slobber, but she didn't care. "I got you, Tim. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. You're going to be okay." She smoothed his hair and scooted in closer so she was sitting next to him on his bed. She laid her legs out next to his and let him hold on to her as his crying subsided and fell into a deep sleep on her chest just like a child.

* * *

The Robbins clan came back from lunch, excited and happy to go see Tim again. Arizona had never been so relieved in her life. She was finally able to breathe again, knowing that Tim was safe back in the states and was relatively healthy after the care of her beautiful, strong, amazing, incredible fiancée. She was never so proud to call someone her own in her entire life; but Callie was it. Callie was all hers, and that fact alone still made her walk on clouds. She carried Sofia on her hip as she bounced up to the front desk to sign in. Her parents and Teddy signed back in behind her as she stepped through the doors and into the hallway.

The blinds and door were closed to Tim's room and sitting just outside against the wall was George. His head was in his hands and he was gripping at his hair. He looked like he was shaking… She gripped Sofia tighter as she walked up to the soldier she barely knew and trusted even less. "George?"

He slowly lifted his head and looked up at her, then to Sofia. He struggled with every thought racing through his head. How could he be so stupid and not check Tim's chart? He should have checked, he always checked… How could he make such a huge mistake? Why was he _always_ making such huge mistakes? He almost gave up on Tim, and now he was alive, but no thanks to him. He shouldn't have given up. He shouldn't have even let Tim run towards that car. How could he keep messing up with everything? He'd been messing up ever since he met Callie and all of this began. The only thing he could save… the only thing left to save was his relationship with his daughter. There was no way that Callie would let him near her, not after what he just did to Tim… but he had to be the one to take care of his daughter.

The blonde standing in front of him had shown that she could take care of her; he'd been watching her the whole time she was in the hospital. He could tell that she loved her, _truly_ loved her, and it terrified him. He had never shown that kind of love, and now this beautiful blonde had come in and stolen away his only chance to fix that. She had stolen his wife, and now she was stealing his daughter. It happened too quickly, and he realized everything too late. They were happy. His family was happy without him and it was all her fault. His eyes narrowed and he stood up suddenly. "Give her to me."

Arizona shifted, placing herself between him and her daughter, tightening her hold on the infant.

George took a step forward. "Give her to me! She's _my_ daughter!" He had to fight for his daughter now, or she was gone… forever. This was his last chance; he couldn't let her go.

Arizona glared at him and took another step back, distancing them even farther. "No. Where's Callie?"

"It doesn't matter. She's my daughter, and I want to hold her." He squared his shoulders and took another step towards her.

"I said no!" She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. "I'm her mother, and I am telling you **no**!" Sofia started crying, the anxiety of the situation building around her. She grabbed for her Mama and buried her face into her shoulder. Arizona held on tighter and turned even sharper so that Sofia was farther away.

If he let her win this, she was gone… Why was she fighting him so much? "You aren't her _mother_!" George laughed at the absurd thought. "You aren't anything! You _mean_ nothing! Now, give me. _my_. daughter." Did she seriously love his daughter that much? George took a step forward, and as he did, a strong arm grabbed his wrist, spun it, and pushed so that George's body was forced to spin and his arm was pressed against his back. The Colonel shoved him against the wall, his face taking the brunt of the damage. "HEY! Get off!"

The Colonel leaned in so that his face was close to his ear. "You're gonna want to revise that tone, Soldier."

Arizona stepped forward so that George could see her. "I **am** Sofia's mother. You may have donated sperm to create her, but you are not her parent. Not anymore. You lost that privilege when you made the decision to enlist and leave Callie and Sofia. I picked up those broken pieces you left! I pieced back together the woman you left shattered. And I, not you, helped raise this beautiful baby girl, and I plan on continuing to do so for the rest of my life. So, no. Sofia is not your daughter. She is my daughter. Because biology doesn't dictate who a real parent is. Love, respect, and commitment do." She took a deep breath, locking her eyes with George's. "If

I see you so much as look at my daughter again, I'll be the one with your arm in mine, and I promise you, I won't be as gentle."

George's eyes flared open. She was actually winning this… "You bitch! Give me my—"

The Colonel twisted his wrist and pressed his face even farther into the wall. "Son, you might not know who you're dealing with here, so let me inform you. Name's Colonel Daniel Robbins, United States Marine Corps, and that there is my daughter, Doctor Arizona Robbins and my lovely granddaughter, Sofia. Now you address either one of them in that tone again, and I'll have a talk with your Commanding Officer and a lesson on respect waiting for you. You understand?"

George grimaced and tugged on his arm, trying to free himself.

"I said, DO YOU **UNDERSTAND**, SOLDIER?!" The Colonel shouted in his ear. If anyone within 100 yards wasn't already watching the confrontation, they were now.

George grimaced, but stopped struggling. He lost. His family was gone, and rightfully so. "Sir, yes sir." George mumbled.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU SOLDIER!"

George squared his shoulders. "SIR. YES, SIR."

The Colonel nodded and loosened his grip. George turned around and rubbed his sore wrist. "Good, now get out of here before I change my mind and kill you."

George's eyes fell as he hurriedly walked past Arizona. He couldn't believe how strongly the blonde had just fought for his… no, her… her daughter. He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Just… take care of her. Of both of them."

Arizona glared at him. "I already do."

He nodded and hung his head as he walked through the doors to the surgical post-op floor, letting go of any dream he had of being a part of his daughter's life. At least he knew now that she would be taken care of and loved unconditionally the way she deserved; the way he had never done. Callie and Sofia both deserved that woman; she would treat them with the love and respect that they deserved. He needed to learn when to keep fighting, and when to recognize that he didn't deserve to win. Life was definitely teaching him that lesson... and he knew in this moment that he didn't deserve to win. He needed to be a better man to deserve a family like that. He needed to be more like that spitfire of a woman, Doctor Arizona Robbins.

* * *

Callie watched the entire confrontation from Tim's doorway. As soon as George was gone, she crossed the hall to wrap her arms around Arizona whose arms were wrapped tightly around Sofia. It felt like an eternity had passed since she last had the two people she loved most in her arms, and it felt more than good to have both of them safely in her embrace.

"She's mine! She's my daughter, Calliope! She calls me Mama, and I know it's just mumbling, but that's me! I'm her Mama!"

Callie separated herself so she could see Arizona's face. She softly rubbed her back, trying to get a read on her face. "I know… I know, babe. Hey, look at me."

Arizona's eyes slowly rose to meet hers and a cautious smile spread across her face. "I'm her Mama."

A smile flitted across Callie's mouth. "Arizona, I know."

"And I'm the only one who can get her to go down after a nightmare… Calliope, she needs me." Arizona squeezed Sofia even tighter.

"I know, Arizona. You're her Mama. No one is ever going to take her away from you." She waited for her words to sink in and relief to wash across Arizona's face before bringing her forward for a kiss to seal the promise. Arizona was hesitant at first, but leaned in to the kiss, adding passion to their embrace. Callie pulled away, her eyes still closed, lingering in the moment.

Arizona smiled and leaned forward to place a small kiss on her waiting lips. Callie smiled and opened her eyes. She took a deep, cleansing breath and turned to the Colonel. "Thank you, Colonel."

"You can call me Dan. Or Dad. You've earned it, Callie." He took a step forward and pulled her into a strong embrace. The sudden show of affection startled everyone, but no one as much as Callie. She quickly melted into the hug, letting his confidence and love pour into her. She smiled and took a deep breath as he let her go.

"Thanks, Dad." She blushed as a goofy grin plastered across her face.

"CAL!?" Tim's panicked voice rang from his hospital room. "CALLIE! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Callie's eyes grew wide as she whipped her head through the doorway. "Tim! It's okay, I'm right here!" She ran across the room and took his hand in hers. She wiped the sweat from his brow and laid her hand against his cheek. "Breathe, Tim… Breathe…" She coached him through his panic attack. He took long, cleansing breaths until his mind cleared.

"Thank you. Sorry, I freaked out when I woke up and you weren't here…" He winced as he heard his own words. "Just don't leave me again. Not yet."

She nodded as a serious tone filled her voice. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Tim? You okay!?" Arizona came walking in, still clutching Sofia, followed by the rest of the Robbins Clan. Teddy ran up to his bed and raised her eyebrow at the close proximity between Callie and Tim.

Tim chuckled. "Well, besides dying earlier, I'm alright. How was lunch?"

The room froze as each member of the Robbins Clan took in his words. Teddy was the first to speak. "You… you what?!"

Tim laughed as he let go of Callie's hand and reached out for Teddy. "I took a fishing trip with my granddad, but Callie freaking woke me up, so whatever, I'm back now." He smiled at Callie with a goofy grin.

Arizona looked to Callie with fear running through her eyes. "What?!"

Callie took a deep breath and stood up to face the family and explained what happened. Barb had a hand plastered across her mouth. The Colonel wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her in closer as the story reached its climax. She left out no details, wanting the family to know exactly what had happened. She stopped right after kicking George out, effectively removing him from Tim's case. "I will be the primary and sole physician on Tim's case from now on. I haven't had a chance to meet with the chief of surgery yet, but I'll make sure it happens."

Everyone nodded silently as their eyes drifted back and forth between Tim and Callie.

Barb's voice broke the silence. "So, is he okay now? What about the infection?"

Callie nodded. "He was on a heavy dose of antibiotics, which is why he had such a strong negative reaction, but they did their job and he's on the healing side of the infection now. I'll keep the incision sites clean and change the dressings regularly to ensure that the infection stays out, but it was still superficial and we caught it early, so there shouldn't be any further complications."

Everyone stood silently, not knowing what to say. Finally, Tim spoke up. "Seriously guys, how was lunch? Did you bring me something?"

* * *

**AN: **I have to say, this is probably my favorite chapter that I've ever written. What did you guys think? None of you seemed too pleased at me trying to make you like George's character. I didn't really mean for you to _like_ him per se, I just felt like he needed to round out a bit and really give you reason to understand where he was coming from. But how bad ass was pretty much every character in this freaking chapter?!


	34. Ch 34: Honesty

Ch. 34 - Honesty

* * *

Her heart pounded within her chest, threatening to break the skin as her quick fingers spun her phone repeatedly, causing rays of reflected sunlight to dance across the walls of their hotel room. The bed she sat on moved in rhythm with her knee's incessant bouncing. She took a deep breath and pressed the home button, lighting the screen for the hundredth time in the last hour, trying to gather the confidence to hit send on her sister Aria's contact screen. Her eyes creased as her thumb reached closer, thoughts racing through her mind. She _wanted_ to tell her about the wedding, but that meant officially coming out. She had just gotten her sister back, and now she was threatening it all with a single statement. _I'm gay._ She repeated it in her mind, toying over the words trying to find a way to make them sound less official. She found they held a certain lyric, a beauty even in her mind; those words meant she had the chance to love and be loved by the most wonderful woman in the world. The image of that love erupted into her thoughts, gold hair flying through a memory of a perfect autumn breeze. Arizona's laugh rang through her mind, echoing in her soul, joined quickly by Sofia's just as it always seemed to happen. A smile pulled at her lips as Arizona's beauty filled her spirit, encouraging her. Her words echoed through her mind from the night before. _You're building a new relationship. Start it with honesty, not lies._ Honesty. Her heart began to pound again as she took her final breath, making the command decision to overcome her fears. Her sister loved her; she just had to hold on to the hope that that brought.

She wished Arizona was there to hold her hand, somehow she always made things seem better, more manageable. Tim needed her more right now, though. Physical therapy was proving to be difficult for him, and having his kid sister around to compete against and for support was really helping. This was something she felt she needed to face alone, anyways. She looked to Sofia, sleeping on the bed next to her and let the peace of her daughter fill her as her thumb met the surface of the screen, sending the call.

The first ring of her phone threw her stomach into a spiral. Anxiety filled her mind as the words she needed to say flew across her consciousness. The second ring pierced through her ears, causing a second wave of nausea to roll through her. She couldn't this. Not alone. She needed Arizona. She bit her lip as she waited for the third ring. Her eyes slammed shut, trying to envision her future wife in front of her. Panic streaked across the vision, impeding the view of her beautiful Arizona from gaining full fruition. Her brow creased in a mixture of frustration and anxiety as she tried to force her stomach to still and the image of her love to come fully into view.

"Calliope?" Her sister's voice broke her concentration and suddenly her heart was in her stomach, joining it in a circus act of acrobatics.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her voice cracked as she strained to make a sound.

"Calliope, are you there?" Aria's voice faded as she pulled her phone back to check the screen to see if she was still connected.

She took a deep breath, focusing on calming her stomach. "Aria?"

"Callie!" Aria smiled as she adjusted the phone on her shoulder.

"Hey, Aria." Callie relaxed momentarily at the familiar sound of her sister's voice.

"Hey! I'm so happy you called back… I was starting to get a little concerned. Is everything okay?" Aria shuffled into her car, throwing the bags from her shopping spree next to her and closing the door. She sat in the silence of her black Range Rover, waiting for an answer.

"Uhm… well, they're getting better. I had a bit of an emergency I had to take care of that landed me in Maryland for the next few weeks. I'm sorry I haven't called you sooner, things were a little crazy." Callie took another deep breath. Crazy didn't even begin to describe the last few days.

"Maryland? What happened?"

Callie looked for the right words to start the story. How would she explain who Tim was to her without telling her about so much more? "It's a long story." She had to start at square one. Honesty. "Aria, I have something I need to tell you."

Aria sat back in her seat, playing with her keys in her hand, debating on turning the car on. "Calliope, you know you can tell me anything."

Callie's eyes shot to the ceiling as tears built in the corner of her eye. Oh, how she wished that was a true statement. There were limits for everyone on the word 'anything'. "Just promise to not hang up on me."

Aria turned the car on, letting the air flow across her skin. "I won't hang up on you. I'm here for you now, and I'm never going to abandon you again. I promise. Now tell your favorite sister what's going on."

Callie started to shake, the words trying to force themselves from her lips. Her heart started pounding and just as she thought how easy it would be to come up with something else to talk about and to go back into hiding, the doorknob to the hotel room turned and Arizona stepped through the doorway.

Arizona took in the scene in front of her, first noticing Sofia asleep on the bed. She set her bags down gently and bounced towards the bed where her future wife was sitting, talking on the phone. She had panic written all over her face initially, but it smoothed away as soon as their eyes made contact.

Callie watched as Arizona walked into the room, grace emanating from each stride towards her. Her panic evaporated as her soul filled with the confidence of their love. When she looked into Arizona's eyes, the words seemed simple and easiest words in the world to say. "I'm gay."

Aria stopped fiddling with her keys and stared straight ahead. She cleared her throat, trying to think of how to respond.

Arizona watched as a nervous smile spread across Callie's face, a cautious smile pulling at her own lips. She sat down next to Callie, taking her hand in her own, careful to not disturb their slumbering daughter.

"Aria, you promised not to hang up." Callie kissed Arizona's knuckles and placed their hands in her lap.

Aria chuckled. "I didn't. I'm still here. Just give a girl a minute to process!"

"Okay, fair enough." She laid her head back on the wall behind the bed. Arizona watched expectantly, hoping for a hint of how her sister was reacting. Callie shrugged in response to Arizona's questioning eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Callie laughed. "Yes, Aria. Yes, I'm sure. I'm very, very sure."

"Okay…" Aria hesitated. "It's just I really thought you were, you know with the whole blondie in med school thing, and then you went and married a dude, but WAIT." Aria gasped.

Callie's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"IS THAT WHY YOU DIVORCED GEORGE!?"

"No! Well. Kind of. Not really, no. I'll explain that in a minute, but first just tell me what you're thinking... please."

"I think it's great that you've found that part of yourself, Calliope. I thought you had figured that out years ago, but then you married George so I assumed I was wrong. Guess I was right after all!" Aria's laugh filled the car and rang through the phone into Callie's ear.

Callie laughed along with her, the conversation finally easing. Arizona read the drop of the tension Callie had been holding in her shoulders and smiled. She leaned over to kiss Callie's cheek and whisper in her ear. "I love you and I am so, so proud of you." Her heart fluttered as warmth raced across her chest and rose to her cheeks in a rosy blush. She mouthed '_thank you_' as Arizona crawled off the bed and walked towards the bathroom.

"So you aren't going to disown me again?"

Aria's laughs subsided. "No, Calliope. I won't disown you again. I can't speak for Mami and Papi, but I can speak for myself and I will always be here for you."

Callie released a breath she hadn't realized she had even been holding. "Thank you so much, Aria. That means more to me than I can really even say."

"Of course. I'm just sorry I ever gave you reason to doubt me."

"I forgive you. Just don't pull anything like that again, okay?" Callie laughed, startling Sofia into waking up.

"Oh, is that my little niece in the background?" Aria reached her hand to her chest. She didn't realize how much she missed the sound of her only, and therefore favorite, niece.

"It is. Arizona has her though." Arizona lifted Sofia off the bed and into her arms rocking her gently, soothing her. She didn't need to, though; the second Sofia was in her arms, she quieted down, nestled into the safety of her Mama.

"Arizona? Is that the lucky lady?"

Callie chuckled, suddenly feeling as if she was in high school again, telling her sister about her latest crush. Except now it was much, much more than just a crush. "Yeah, except I think I'm the lucky one." Arizona met her eyes and winked.

"Do you love her?"

"Very much."

"Does she love you?"

"Yeah, I think so. She agreed to marry me, so I think that's a yes."

Aria screamed. "WHAT!? YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!?"

Callie laughed as she pulled the phone away from her ear. "Aria! Calm down! Yes, I'm getting married!" She shook her head, imagining her sister flailing in excitement.

"When!? Where!? Ahh! I have to buy new shoes! And a dress! Who am I kidding? I just bought a dress… CALLIE YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!"

Callie put her sister on speaker phone, so Arizona could hear her sister's antics as well. "I'm sure you'll look lovely in whatever you decide to wear. The wedding is in May, and it's going to be in Seattle. Do you think you can make it?"

Aria screamed again, making Arizona jump then break into laughter. "Of course I can! Callie, I wouldn't miss this for the world! Oh, I can't wait to meet her! Can I come early? Spend some time with you guys? I really miss Sofia and I have to get to know my future sister-in-law! Callie PLEEEAAAAASEEE!"

Callie arched an eyebrow and looked to Arizona for an opinion. Arizona bit her lip, her eyes shifting across the room and she adjusted her stance so Sofia sat on her hip. She knew this meant more than anything to Callie, but she couldn't bear to see her hurt again. She needed time to make sure that Aria was serious and that Callie wasn't at risk of having her heart broken again. "Aria? Hi, this is Arizona."

Callie's eyes widened in shock; she wasn't expecting her to introduce herself.

Aria's voice cracked. "Oh, well, hello Arizona! I didn't realize Callie had me on speaker. I hope that wasn't too forward of me. I would very much like to meet you before the wedding, though."

"I'd like to meet you too, Aria. Let's keep in touch and settle a date for you to come closer to the wedding. Calliope and I both have very busy schedules that are hard to predict, so it would be best to wait until we have an idea of how many days we'll be able to have off before the wedding day."

"Oh! Are you a surgeon too?"

"Yes, I'm a surgeon too. I'm the head of the pediatrics surgical wing."

"Wow! Good job, Calliope!"

Callie had to laugh. "Wow, Aria. Thanks for that."

"What? I'm serious. That's awesome. Head of peds… that's pretty impressive, Arizona."

It was Arizona's turn for her cheeks to fade to a shade of crimson. "Well, thank you. I'll let you catch up with Callie now, and I hope we can keep in touch."

"Definitely. I'll talk to you soon!"

Arizona nodded as Callie picked up her phone, taking it off of speaker, and shifted into Spanish, as per usual with her family. She set Sofia down on the ground by their bed to crawl around as the light shifted from brilliant rays to warm reds and oranges draping across their little piece of heaven. She reached for the phone book to find a local pizza place to order some food for their dinner. Callie's laughter filled the room, bouncing with the rays of sunlight peeking through the window as the sun disappeared under the horizon. She couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth; her own coming out had been nearly painless, but she was beyond worried for Callie's talk with her sister. She hoped her initial response wouldn't shift over the coming months. She wanted to believe Aria had honest intentions, but sometimes even the most valiant intent could fall flat once the troubles of life involved themselves.

* * *

"DAMN IT!" Tim threw the medicine ball across the room, nearly missing a window, instead slamming it against the concrete of the wall across from him. Arizona flinched as she watched her brother crumble once again. She hesitated before walking over to him and placing a gentle hand on his back. He flinched, but froze rather than tearing himself away like he had been for the last few weeks. Arizona and Callie both missed Seattle and they were going through terrible withdrawals from not being able to do surgery, but they had promised to stay with Tim as long as he needed them. Teddy had to leave just a few days after Tim's surgery. They weren't married yet, so she had no grounds for requesting any leave from SGMW. Callie had assured her that he was getting close to being fully recovered, but he had had one too many setbacks over the last week. The emotional and mental tolls of recovery were starting to rear their ugly heads, which always delayed the recovery process.

"Tim, it takes time. You can't rush these things." The physical therapist took a step back and dismissed himself, claiming to need to use the bathroom. "Just be patient."

Tim's eyes shot up to meet his sister's matching glare. "You don't get it."

Bitterness bled through his lips and stung the surface of her soul. She adjusted her stance and softened her eyes. "Tim, please. Let me help you!"

"No! You can't help me! My stupid arm won't work. I can't even lift freaking…" He pointed towards the medicine ball on the ground. "…ten pounds! I can't do it, Arizona!" He kicked the chair he was sitting in, sending it crashing to the ground and sliding across the floor. She stood up in surprise and straightened her back to meet his piercing glare. He stumbled backwards and put a hand up, separating himself from his sister. "Stop. Don't you dare pity me."

Arizona's eyes widened. "I'm not…"

"But you are! Everyone is! I don't need pity! I need my freaking arm to work! I need my legs to stop shaking every time I stand! I need my life back, Arizona! And if you can't do that for me then get the hell out of here!"

She stood in her spot, her eyes drifting from his piercing glare to the misplaced equipment. She looked to the floor and nodded. Tim took several deep breaths and ran his fingers through his hair then let out a blood curdling shout of anger before kicking the stand of medicine balls next to him. She took a deep breath and slowly let her gaze trace upwards to meet the eyes of her brother. "Are you done?"

Tears built up in his eyes and he looked to the ceiling then nodded as he tried to choke back the tears that threatened to fall. She took a step closer to him and drew him in. He immediately started sobbing against her shoulder. The tense atmosphere faded from the room as his frustration and anger flowed out of his body. Arizona traced circles along his back, letting him breathe through his sobs. Minutes passed before he took a deep breath and stepped back. She gave him a weak smile and wiped the tears from his cheeks before leveling her gaze. "I can't pretend to know what it's like to go through this. But I've been here with you for every single therapy session, and you're getting better! I mean, look at you! You're standing, you're walking, you can lift some things –"

"But not enough." Tim cut her off.

"But you can do so much more than even yesterday! These exercises are working, you just have to give it time and celebrate the little victories." Tim's gaze fell to the floor. "Like today, you did a squat for the first time!" Her face erupted into a huge smile. "I can't wait to get back to tell Callie about that. She's so proud of you, Tim." He looked up with a lopsided grin.

"Really?" His voice was weak and more vulnerable than she had ever heard.

She nodded. "Really. But no one is more proud of you than I am. You're doing such an amazing job, Tim. So what if you can't lift a ten pound ball today? Maybe you will tomorrow. But only if you give your body time. Getting angry and throwing shit like that is only tearing your muscles and doing more damage that you're just going to have to overcome next time."

Tim turned a bright pink as he looked around at the aftermath of his anger. His good arm lifted mindlessly to scratch the back of his head. "Right."

"Next time you yell at me to leave, I will. So don't unless you mean it."

He nodded and reached an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry. Thank you so much, Arizona. I couldn't do this without you."

The physical therapist walked back in with a clip board under his arm. He walked straight to the chair Tim had kicked across the room and picked it up, then sat down. "Okay, go pick up the eight pound ball from yesterday and we'll try increasing the reps."

* * *

Arizona walked into their hotel room and set her bags down on the ground with a huff. "Babe! I'm home!" She walked in to find a note on the bed as well as what she knew to be Callie's favorite black dress.

_Mi Amor,_

_Your parents came back to see Tim for the weekend, so they're watching Sofia for the night. Wear this and be in the lobby at 8._

_All my love,_

_Your Calliope_

Arizona's famous dimpled smile flew across her face as she held the note to her chest and looked around for any sign of Callie. The room smelled like her, but it always did. It was one thing she absolutely loved about her beautiful Latina; she smelled amazing and every room she entered immediately filled with the scent that was uniquely Callie. She looked at the clock to see she only had an hour to get ready. She turned the stereo on full blast and danced her way into the bathroom to shower and get ready for a long overdue date night.

She looked at her reflection and pulled on the bottom hem of the dress Callie had picked out for her to wear. She couldn't remember it ever being this short before… she turned in the mirror to take in the back of the dress and gasped when she saw that it barely covered her ass. She rolled her eyes, realizing this was exactly the effect the Latina must have been going for when she altered the dress, and there was no doubting that she had. Well, if she wanted to see her out in town with a dress this short, then she was going to have to deal with the wandering eyes that also enjoyed it. Her stomach tightened at the thought of a jealous Callie as her center warmed in anticipation. It really had been too long since their last night alone together.

She stepped into the lobby and checked her phone; exactly 8 o'clock. She slipped her phone into her clutch and snapped it closed as a man dressed in a pressed suit with a black tie approached her. He removed his hat and bowed as he neared her.

"Dr. Arizona Robbins?"

She arched her eyebrow and looked around for any sign of Callie. "Yes."

"Mr. Taylor. I'll be your driver this evening. Your car is waiting out front." He motioned towards the door, holding it open for her to walk through. She stepped into the brisk night air, immediately cursing Callie for making her wear such a short dress. She looked up and down the street until she saw her driver step to her side and open the door to the limo in front of her. She looked at him as if he were kidding, but he held a straight face and nodded inside. "Ma'am."

She looked over her shoulder, wondering where Callie was as she stepped inside the limo and took a seat. Instantly the smell that is uniquely her lover filled her senses and she looked up to find the object of her waking dreams waiting for her. A smile spread across her face as she leapt across the gap and into her arms, stealing her lips in a passionate kiss.

Callie smiled as the fine lips that she had come to know so well found her own. They parted briefly before Callie pressed her lips against Arizona's, needing more as if it were the oxygen that filled her lungs. She moaned softly as Arizona's fingers gripped the edges of her coat, pulling her closer. When they parted, their eyes met and their lips danced, tracing smaller kisses across each other's lips until the car started moving, jolting Arizona onto the seat next to Callie.

"Hey, beautiful."

Arizona smiled. "Hey, gorgeous."

"You look amazing." Callie's eyebrow arched approvingly as her eyes raked across her fiancée.

Arizona took in the sight of Callie in her favorite red dress and her mouth went dry. "You look…. incredible. Stunning. Miraculous." Her eyes met Callie's and instantly their mouths were locked together again. Arizona's tongue traced Callie's bottom lip until it parted slightly, allowing their tongues to dance. Moans filled their mouths as their kiss grew more passionate. Arizona straddled Callie's hips, her dress hitching up and over her waist, baring her entire lower body. She rocked into Callie as strong tan hands found their way around, cupping perfectly her ass. She dug her fingernails in, gripping strongly and pushing her harder with every movement of her hips. Arizona's hands moved in Callie's beautifully messy curls, scratching gently at her scalp. Arizona moaned into Callie's mouth as she felt herself grow unbearably wet. She needed more.

"Calliope… I need you." Arizona bit gently down on Callie's earlobe, making her squirm underneath her.

Callie kissed her one more time and paused, placing her forehead against Arizona's. "After dinner. We're almost there."

Arizona's chest rose sharply with every intake of breath. "You have got to be kidding me."

Callie kissed her gently. "I'm sorry, beautiful. I wasn't expecting for that to happen… so I picked somewhere close."

"I'm close." Arizona kissed her again, hoping to reignite their passionate moment.

"I know you are. I can feel it. Which is why I am so, so sorry." Callie kissed her gently again then released her hold so that Arizona could crawl off of her lap.

The disappointed blonde tried not to pout as she sat down, pulling her dress as far down as it would go. She looked around at the interior of the limo and saw the liquor and glasses set out. Callie followed her gaze and smiled as she poured two small glasses of scotch.

Arizona took hers without prompting and swallowed the entire glass in one large swig. Callie's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she sipped hers. "You alright?"

Arizona looked up as she set her glass back down. "Just a little… worked up. Where are we going?"

Callie smiled as they pulled up to the only five star restaurant within an hour of the hotel. "Welcome to The Tides, Mi Amor."

* * *

Dinner was outstanding. The meal consisted of five courses, each outdoing the previous, but all more incredible than anything either woman had tasted before. Callie told her about her parent's surprise visit and that Sofia had actually yelled Pop when she saw her father. It made her mother jealous of course, but the Colonel couldn't have been more proud. Arizona told Callie about Tim's breakdown, but Callie reassured her that it was healthy for him and it meant that he had reached the next phase of recovery.

After dinner, Callie told their driver to pick them up at the end of the boardwalk in half an hour. Mr. Taylor nodded and drove the limo away, promising to meet them. Callie wrapped her arm around Arizona's waist and led them towards the edge of the boardwalk overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.

"The water's gorgeous." Arizona leaned onto the railing, breathing in the smell of the ocean air.

"I'd agree, but I haven't been able to stop looking at you all night, so I honestly wouldn't know."

Arizona looked over with a mischievous grin and grabbed Callie's hand, entwining their fingers. "How'd I get so lucky to have you?"

Callie paused, halting their stroll down the boardwalk. "Is that really how you see it?"

Arizona turned to look into her eyes and nodded. "I dreamed about you for so long, Calliope. I still wonder sometimes if I'm still dreaming."

Callie stepped forward, crashing their lips together. She stole Arizona's breath and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her impossibly close. For the first time since the phone call from Tim weeks ago, the world disappeared around them. Galaxies and stars shot past them in a spinning vortex that kept the outside world at bay. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks poked and prodded at their bubble until it burst with a crash of an overly energetic wave that sent a spray of water across the two women. Arizona shrieked in surprise and moved to jump behind Callie.

The Latina's warm chuckle rippled through her chest as she shrugged her coat off to drape it across Arizona's shoulders. The blonde looked up sheepishly and gave a lopsided grin that she had never seen before except on Tim. Callie laughed and kissed her fiancée's lips then wrapped her arm around her waist to continue their walk down the boardwalk to meet their car.

By the time they met the limo, they were both much colder than they would have liked. They asked Mr. Taylor to turn the heat up and they cuddled together for the ride home. Arizona traced small patterns along Callie's leg as their innocent kisses heated into a passionate inferno. Mr. Taylor cleared his throat when the door he opened remained unnoticed by both surgeons. Arizona shot off of Callie's lap, hitting her head on the roof of the car. Mr. Taylor shifted his eyes forward as Callie exited the car followed closely by a frazzled Arizona.

Callie settled things with the driver as quickly as possible and immediately pulled Arizona into their hotel building. The guard watching the elevator had quite the show that evening, but neither woman cared. They needed each other in a way that words simply could not describe.

Callie pushed the door to their hotel room open as Arizona came crashing into her. Both sets of hands worked the zippers of their dresses until they both fell to the floor and they were left in two very sexy sets of underwear. Callie crashed backwards onto the bed with a bounce. Arizona took a moment to appreciate the red and black lace pushing her future wife's breasts together perfectly; not that they needed any help. Her own pink lace set was a gift from the beautiful Latina currently drooling in front of her, and she knew it was fueling a fire that was roaring hotter than ever before.

Callie growled as she sat up, wrapping her arms around Arizona's waist. She kissed her stomach, praising each imperfection made perfect. Arizona's eyes fluttered closed as her head rocked backwards. Her hands found the back of Callie's head, holding her hair back. Callie kissed every sensitive spot, nipping occasionally until her teeth found the strap to the most beautiful pink thong she had ever seen. She dragged it down with her teeth and kissed the freshly exposed skin.

Arizona moaned at the gentle kisses of Callie's full lips across her skin. She looked down to find Callie's eyes watching her every reaction. She leaned down to kiss her full lips and let their tongues glide against each other. Callie leaned back and Arizona climbed on top of her.

Arizona rocked into every touch and moaned at every change in motion. Callie's hands wandered down to grip Arizona's hips, pressing them even harder against her own. They found their rhythm, grinding against each other in a synchronized orchestration only two lovers can find.

Arizona's breath became ragged as her center began to drip with anticipation. She had been so close ever since she first imagined her Calliope jealous of wandering eyes during dinner, of which there had been many. Having her underneath her, pleasuring her and moaning in her mouth was sending her close to plummeting over the edge without even a single touch. She dropped her forehead onto the pillow beside Callie's head. "Fuck, Calliope… I'm so close…"

Callie wrapped her leg around Arizona's and flipped them suddenly so that Arizona writhed underneath her. She reached around to rid her of her bra and pulled her thong the rest of the way down. She latched her lips onto her breast as her hand found her dripping mound.

"Oooohhh... God, yes… Calliope, yes…" Arizona's back arched as her hips rose to meet Callie's palm. Skilled fingers slowly dived into her folds, pressing deep within her. Callie's tongue traced a circle around the edge of her nipple, flicking the peak before moving to latch onto her other breast. Her free hand reached to hold onto Arizona's hand, placing it above her head.

Arizona raked her fingernails across Callie's back then dug into her shoulder as Callie's fingers found the spot she needed the most. "OH! Yes! Callie! THERE!" Arizona's hips bucked under Callie's touch. Her pulse started racing, stars forming at the edge of her vision.

Callie's lips left Arizona's breast to move up and kiss Arizona's lips briefly. She watched in awe as the blonde unfolded beneath her. Her screams turned into strangled moans as her back shot up from the bed and her toes curled as her walls closed in on her fingers, drawing them in deeper. Callie obliged, diving her fingers even farther inside, curling them and massaging deep within her love. As Arizona's climax subsided, she crashed to the bed, her chest heaving with every breath. Callie slowly pulled her fingers out and licked them clean. Arizona watched as Callie's eyes fluttered in ecstasy. She leaned forward, taking full lips with her own, tasting herself. She moaned and turned them so that Callie was underneath her.

She placed gentle kisses down her neck, nipping at her pulse points. She unhooked Callie's bra and threw it to the floor. She massaged one breast with her fine yet strong fingers as her mouth covered and latched onto the other. Callie's hips rose to meet Arizona's stomach, leaving a damp trace behind. Arizona's eyebrow arched as she looked down to see that Callie had soaked through her underwear. She pulled them down and threw them to the side as she trailed kisses down her stomach.

She kissed the exposed flesh above her growing heat, making Callie squirm. Her delicate fingers separated Callie's folds and the smell of her arousal overwhelmed her. Arizona's stomach tightened again, a fresh arousal beginning in her own center. It had been too long since she last tasted her lover. She kissed gently Callie's sensitive bundle of nerves. Her hips jolted upwards at the touch and Callie gripped the sheets of their bed, her knuckles going white.

Arizona rammed her tongue into Callie, swirling deep within her. She pulled her tongue out and traced it up along her slit, circling her swollen nub. She surrounded it with her lips, and sucked as she pushed Callie's thighs apart.

"Oooohhh, god… Arizona… don't stop, don't ever stop!" Callie's head shot backwards and rammed against the wall.

Arizona ran her tongue back down into Callie and swirled before she pulled it out and lapped up as much of the juices flowing from her as possible. She quickened her pace, more aggressively diving in to her love. She watched as Callie squirmed on the bed, screaming her name. She sucked on Callie's clit once more, releasing it with a pop before she slammed her tongue back inside and moaned into her, sending her over the edge into oblivion. Callie's hips shot up, bucking, begging for more.

"Arizo— OH FUCK!" Callie screamed as her climax overtook her. Her body clenched in on itself and every muscle flexed. Arizona licked the last of Callie's arousal and watched as the beautiful Latina fell back to Earth. She wiped her face off and crawled up to lay against Callie's side.

Callie opened her arm for Arizona to cuddle against her chest. The blonde entwined their legs and traced circles on Callie's stomach as I love yous were mumbled and they each floated into their dreams.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you so much for your patience with this update. March was a crazy month for me! I am seriously so humbled by the overwhelming response to this story so far – I now have over 200 reviews and over 220 alerts… that just blows my mind. I don't think I deserve it, but I appreciate it very, very much. Updates hopefully will be much quicker now that March is over :] What'd you guys think of Aria? What about Tim's anger? Leave some comments you beautiful human beans.


	35. Ch 35: Together

Ch. 35 – Together

* * *

"Please, Mark!?" Callie begged through the phone to the poor man who had been the first of her friends to answer her call that day.

"No, Callie. This is ridiculous," Mark huffed as he rolled his eyes, denying her for the tenth time in the last few minutes.

"Mark, I'm begging you." Callie bounced Sofia on her hip and continued to pace around their hotel room. "I'm going crazy here. You don't have to do the whole thing, just give me some details! Please. I need to live vicariously through you."

Mark coughed on his coffee. "Seriously, Cal, this is borderline creepy."

"Mark, I haven't been able to cut in almost a month. I'll take anything… nose job, boob job, I'd even go for a freaking ass implant! I know you're holding back on me."

Mark groaned as he sat down in the cafeteria, spinning the apple in his hand trying to decide whether to drag his friend along any more. "Alright fine, but then you've gotta help me with something."

Callie nearly jumped out of her skin. "YES! I'll help you with whatever you want! Thank you thank you thank you," Callie mumbled as she continued pacing. She listened through every gritty detail of the nose job Mark had performed that afternoon. She closed her eyes, imagining every cut, the cracking of each bone, and the careful stitches that would promise to leave no scar that had become Mark's signature.

After yelling at her friend to just stop treading fine lines and jump in head first into the relationship she knew was destined to be one for the story books, she plopped onto the bed trying to run through the surgery again in her mind. She was itching for any amount of surgery, as was Arizona. It was putting them both on edge, and it was starting to make both of them a little jumpy. This was the reason for Arizona's current absence. She was spending extra time with Tim at the hospital, hoping to return with the news that he was finally healed enough for them to return to Seattle and the precious surgeries undoubtedly waiting for them.

The thought caused her pulse to race. She needed to get back to work, and the phone call she'd received from the chief that morning wasn't helping with her anxiety. They had both ran out of family emergency time, vacation time, and were now running down their sick days allowed at work.

Arizona stepped through the door, setting her bags on the floor and the bag holding their dinner onto the counter of their makeshift kitchen in the corner of their hotel suite. She watched as one of Callie's eyes popped open only to close again in a grimace. "Calliope? Everything alright?"

Callie's eyes remained shut tightly, trying to bring back the visions of broken bones under her fingers once again. "I called Mark."

Arizona pulled out the Chinese containers from the plastic bag and set them on the counter. "And what did everyone's favorite man whore have to say?"

Callie glared at Arizona with the most menacing glance that could be mustered with just one eye. "He's not a man whore. He's going to ask Lexie to marry him, actually. But that's not why I called him."

Arizona's head cocked to the side, questioning. "Why did you call him?"

Callie sat up with an overdramatic sigh. "I'm going crazy Arizona! I can't do this anymore!" She threw her head into her hands. "I can't just sit around all day." Her eyes met Arizona's, tears building behind her chocolate brown eyes. "I need to go back to Seattle."

Pink lips creased as she set down the container in her hand. "We've been over this, Callie. We can't."

Callie flopped back down on the bed with a loud groan as Arizona geared up for the argument she knew had been building over the last few days.

"Tim needs us, Callie. I can't change that." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side. It was true; it had become more and more difficult to stay away from her life in Seattle, but she had her daily visits to the hospital here to keep her focused. Callie had decided to stay with Sofia during the day except for visits once a week to check on Tim's improvement herself.

Callie shot up suddenly and stared into Arizona's eyes. "Arizona. I **can't** do this anymore. Tim can do this himself!"

"Excuse me!?" Arizona shifted her weight to stand on her other leg.

"Tim is a strong man, Arizona."

"You don't have to tell me that," Arizona spat, interrupting Callie.

"I think I do." Callie stood up, taking a step towards Arizona. "Arizona, I'm your fiancée, and I need you to listen to me." She took Arizona's hands in her own, and waited until Arizona's eyes met her own. "I **have** to get back to work. I am losing my mind here," Callie whimpered.

Blue eyes searched Callie's face, landing on the creases at the edges of her eyes. They were lines of exhaustion that Arizona had never seen before. Even through the seemingly endless shifts at the hospital, Callie's eyes always held a speck of brilliance that had disappeared. The chocolate eyes in front of her had lost the sparkle that was uniquely Dr. Calliope Torres. She closed her eyes and shook her head as she looked down to their joined hands.

"Please, Arizona," Callie whimpered as a tear fell down her cheek.

"Callie," Arizona looked up and cleared her throat. "Callie we can't leave. I'm sorry," Arizona's voice cracked as Callie dropped her hands and took a step back.

"No! I'm going to be your _wife_, Arizona! That should mean something!"

"It does! Calliope—"

"No," Callie took a step towards the door. "No, don't Calliope me." She turned away from Arizona and grabbed her coat.

"Calliope," she reached for her arm to stop her.

"I said don't!" Callie spun, tearing her arm from Arizona's grip. "I'm not asking anymore, Arizona. I'm telling you. I **need** to go home." Callie's voice broke as her frustration and anger boiled over in a tear that slipped down her cheek. She swung their door open and stepped into the hall, then lowered her voice and looked over her shoulder. "I'm going for a walk."

Arizona jumped as the hotel door slammed in her face. It was the first time Callie had walked away from her angry and she didn't like it. She stared at the white surface of the door where her future wife had just been standing, hoping that it would open and Callie's brilliant smile would be waiting for her. She reached for the door, gently opening it to glance up and down the hall, looking to see which direction she had gone. There was no sign of the raven haired beauty, which only worried her more. She had to have been running to have disappeared that quickly.

She took a step back into the hotel room and walked over to pick up Sofia from her spot on their bed. She held her close, kissing her cheek gently. "Mami's just a little upset. She'll be back soon." _I hope._

* * *

Tim sat up in his bed as a familiar face peeked in through his cracked door. "Callie!" He swung his legs off to the side of his bed and grabbed the cane sitting next to him to lift himself up into a standing position.

"Hey, Tim." Callie stepped into his room with a cautious smile and gently closed the door behind her.

"I thought visiting hours were over like two hours ago…" Tim looked at the clock on the wall then back to the tear-streaked face of his future sister-in-law. "Oh, Cal, what happened?"

A hesitant chuckle flew through her lips as she mindlessly wiped her face, trying to hide the evidence of the break down she had had on her walk – more like run – over to the hospital. "I uhm, I wanted to check on you," Callie's voice broke, betraying her.

Tim nodded as he limped over to her and threw his free arm around her shoulders. "Come on, sit down and tell me what's really going on."

Callie accepted the embrace, taking the opportunity to take a deep breath and calm herself. "I really can't tell you. I just needed to get out of the hotel."

Tim sat down with a huff and put his cane back in its place by his bed. "Didn't Arizona just get back, though?"

Callie gave a loud chuckle at the irony. "Yeah, yeah she did."

Tim nodded his head. "Right. So there's trouble in the love nest?"

Callie laughed and shook her head, relaxing into the chair opposite Tim's bed. "You could say that." Callie paused, but continued when Tim didn't add anything. "I'm just, I'm having a really hard time being away from Seattle for so long." She avoided watching Tim's reaction. She knew it was selfish of her to not want to be here for Tim anymore, and it was even more selfish of her to be talking to Tim himself about it, but she didn't know who else to talk to. Well, she had tried to talk to Arizona about it, but that blew up in her face. Arizona was loyal to her family, especially Tim, but it hurt more than she liked to admit that she would choose him over her future wife.

"So…" Tim paused. "Go back?"

Callie threw her hands in the air. "I want to!"

Tim's eyes widened as the realization of the situation hit him. "But Arizona doesn't."

Callie froze, suddenly overwhelmingly guilty for coming to see Tim. "It's not your fault! She's just convinced she has to be here for you, even though I keep telling her you could this yourself and that you're doing so well already, but she just won't listen!" A tear built behind her eyes. "Tim, I'm losing it," desperation leaked through her words. She didn't know what she expected Tim to say to her; honestly, she didn't know what she was even doing here.

The door to Tim's room opened, breaking the tension of the moment building around them.

"Robbins?" George's voice sliced through the air. His eyes fell on the scene in front of him and his cheeks turned a dark crimson almost instantly. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you had a visitor… Uhm, I'll just," his voice faded as he turned on his heel to leave.

"No, O'Malley, come back." Tim reached towards the door.

George turned slightly. "It's okay, I'll come back later."

"No, it's okay, George, come on in," Callie shifted to grab the door, pulling it open the rest of the way. She wiped her face of the rebel tears that had fallen and smoothed her hair, hoping she didn't look too terrible but knew she did.

George stepped into the room and scratched the back of his head. "I'm heading out in the morning, so I wanted to come say goodbye."

Tim's face fell momentarily. "Thanks. Stay safe, man."

George nodded as he turned to Callie. "Callie, I know that things didn't exactly go that well while I was here," his voice fell in embarrassment, "but I really am glad I had the chance to see you and our baby girl just one more time. I want you to know that I'm really happy for you and for Arizona. She's an amazing woman and I couldn't hope for anyone better to raise Sofia with you." He cleared his throat when Callie nodded in understanding. He turned back to Tim. "Right, well, I hear that you're gonna be medically discharged and there's talks of a Purple Heart for you." A smile lit up across George's face. "That's awesome, man. You deserve it."

Tim nodded, a small smile pulling at the edge of his lips. "Thanks for saving my life. You got my number still, right?" George nodded. "Give me a call when you get back stateside, maybe we can meet up some time."

George hesitated as he forced a weak smile. "Definitely." He nodded and left the room.

Tim shook his head. "I can't imagine going back after this," Tim said as the door clicked shut.

Callie glanced down. "Yeah, I'm glad they aren't sending you back. I don't think I could handle that."

Tim nodded, taking a deep breath. He paused, thinking of the reason for Callie's visit. "Tell Arizona they're discharging me."

Callie's eyes shot open in shock. "What? I can't do that."

"You can, and you will. It's the only way she'll leave while I'm still recovering. I can't leave this damn hospital and you can't stay here. You've done more than enough to help me… you don't need to be miserable, and you definitely don't need to be fighting with Arizona over me," he shook his head. "I won't let me be the reason you guys break."

Callie's heart shattered at the thought. She was mad, sure, but there was no way she'd let things get that far… would she?

"So tell her I'm being discharged. Go home, Cal." He met Callie's eyes and smiled. "Go save other people's lives. They need you… I don't," he cleared his throat, "not anymore anyways."

Callie took a minute to think through Tim's words. Technically, she was his doctor and had the power to discharge him whenever he was ready. She had transferred control of his case over to the physical therapist, but she could easily take back over the case. She shook her head. No, it was wrong of her to abuse her power for her own gain. He clearly was not ready to be discharged; he still needed at least two weeks of intense physical therapy, and she really needed to be able to monitor him through the rest of his recovery. She knew Arizona would never forgive her if she lied to her about Tim's treatment.

"I can't do that to her." Tim only nodded in response. They sat in silence, thinking of some way for things to work out.

* * *

Arizona sat with Sofia on her lap who was happily playing with one of her favorite books. Dried tears stained Arizona's cheeks. An unopened box of orange chicken laid on the nightstand next to her. A weak light barely lit the surrounding hotel room from the corner behind the chair where she had been sitting while she waited for Callie to come back before crawling onto the bed. She checked her phone for the hundredth time, hoping for any sign of contact from her love. She was an intense mixture of worried, angry, hurt, scared, but foremost – exhausted. She was so tired of everything. She was tired of not being able to take care of the tiny humans she loved so much. She was tired of taking care of Tim. She was tired of feeling guilty for keeping Callie in Maryland. She had forced a smile to her face every day when she walked back through the door to their hotel room; she had been so close to collapsing today anyways, so when Callie yelled at her, she just finally broke. She couldn't do this anymore either, but she had to. There was no other choice.

She sniffed, drawing her hand across her nose wiping it clean. It was disgusting, but she had run out of tissues almost an hour ago, and really didn't have the energy to get the toilet paper from the bathroom.

Sofia turned with a start as the door to the hotel room opened and Callie stepped through into the dimly lit room. The Latina cautiously stepped forward, laying her coat on the bench by the door. "Arizona," Callie whispered with a tinge of sadness at the sight of her future wife's current state. "Arizona, I'm sorry."

The blonde looked up slowly, tears building behind her eyes once again.

Callie set her keys down on the bed and took a step towards her. "Don't," Arizona's voice halted Callie's approach, "please, don't **ever** leave like that again." Arizona's voice cracked as a tear fell down her cheek. "I was so worried." Only then did she realize how tightly she was gripping her phone in her hands. Her knuckles were white and cracking. "I was so scared that you were going to get hit by a car, or some guy was going to jump you, or a plane was going to fall out of the sky and hit you and the last words you would hear weren't going to be I love you. Because I do, Callie. I love you _so_ much," tears streamed down her face, "and I want the last words you hear to be me telling you just how much."

Callie took a step towards the bed. "Arizona," she breathed.

"Calliope, please, just don't leave like that ever again." Callie closed the distance between them as Arizona's shoulders started shaking with sobs. Her strong arms drew in the blonde and held her to her chest. She smoothed her hair as she shushed her, gently rocking her.

"I won't leave ever again, I promise. I'm here. I'm okay. I'm so, so sorry, honey." She breathed in against Arizona's shoulder, taking in the scent of her fresh shampoo and perfume. "God, I'm so sorry, Arizona."

Arizona sniffed and sat back, her tears finally slowing. She looked into Callie's eyes, searching them to make sure she was really there. "Let's just go home." Callie's eyes widened in surprise. "It's not worth us fighting over. I love Tim, but he'll understand. You're what's important to me, and if you really need to go home, then let's go. Right now, let's just—"

Callie flung her arms around Arizona and held her close against her body. "Arizona, thank you so much." She kissed the base of her neck where it met her shoulder, then held her close again.

"I don't like fighting with you. It hurts too much." Arizona squeezed Callie tighter, content finally that everything would be alright.

Callie leaned back and sat down onto the bed before swooping up Sofia into her lap. "It means so much to me that you would bend on this," she wiped away the tears that had collected on Arizona's cheek, "I know you don't want to."

Arizona gave a weak smile and leaned into Callie's hand. "I do. I want you to be happy, and if that means bending, then I will. Always."

Callie smiled and leaned forward, her lips ghosting across Arizona's then pressed their foreheads together. "I went to see Tim."

"What? Why?"

"I didn't know who else to talk to. I always just talk to you about everything, but we've never fought before. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't mean to go see him, really. I just started running and I ended up at his room." Arizona took Callie's hand in her own. "We came up with a plan." Arizona's head cocked to the side in confusion. "I'm transferring Tim to Seattle Grace for the rest of his recovery."

"What?" Arizona's eyes stared wide at Callie's, hope suddenly filling the emptiness that had taken over throughout the night.

"We've got a great physical therapy group that will take really good care of him. He can stay with us while he's there and I can keep track of how he's doing to report back to his Commander. They're going to medically discharge him anyways, so there's no point in him staying at Walter Reid anymore."

Arizona's mouth hung open. "You mean… you mean," she stuttered, "we can go home?" She had been battling with herself all night, feeling guilty with either decision. She didn't want to leave Tim alone, but she couldn't have Callie angry with her. She had been so patient with the situation, but she knew the Latina well enough to feel how unhappy she had been for nearly two weeks now. She knew she would snap eventually, but had been hoping Tim would be fully recovered first. When things finally blew up, she knew she had to make the decision to leave Tim on his own, and she hated it. Somehow, though, the woman she loved more than anything had blown her away all over again; she found a way to make sure that she didn't have to make such a difficult decision. She should have trusted that she would figure it out.

Callie nodded as her super mega watt smile erupted across her mouth. "We can go home!"

Arizona squealed and jumped at Callie, sending her flying back on to the bed, careful to avoid Sofia still in her lap. The little girl squealed with her and started laughing along with her Mama. Arizona jumped up and off the bed, running to grab her suitcase from over the closet.

Callie laughed as she watched Arizona throwing clothes into her bag. "Arizona! Babe! You've got time to pack. Our flight leaves at 11 tomorrow morning. We've got plenty of time."

Arizona turned to Callie with a huge smile on her face, dimples at full blast. "We're going home!" She paused and cocked her head. "Calliope?"

Callie smiled at hearing her full name ring through Arizona's lips again. "Hm?"

"I never want to fight with you again. We could have figured this out without you running away. That didn't help anything." She dropped her arms to her side. "Even if we scream at each other, it wouldn't hurt as bad as seeing you slam that door in my face."

"I know. It was wrong for me to leave, and I won't do that again. We'll talk through it next time."

"Together," Arizona added.

"Together."

* * *

**AN**: So a bit of drama! But they're finally headed home and Tim's going with them and George is finally out of the picture. Have they heard from Aria again though? What about the rest of Callie's family?

Thank you so much for the awesome reviews from the last chapter. Shout out to superrocketable - I'm sorry for making you squeal in front of your family! But that really made my day to hear that happened... It makes me really happy to think that you actually get that excited about this story! Hope this chapter didn't disappoint :)


	36. Ch 36: Welcome Home

Ch. 36 – Welcome Home

* * *

Travelling with Tim had been both extremely convenient and extraordinarily difficult; adding Sofia in to the mix meant that the 5 hour flight from Baltimore to Seattle was nothing but hellacious. Tim's leg gave them access to every handicapped line and early boarding rights, but the anxiety that something would go wrong during the plane ride had kept Callie up all night. So, Arizona sat with Sofia through the entire flight so that Callie could make sure that Tim was alright and was reminded to get up and walk around every half hour to keep his leg from going stiff. By the time they all trudged into their apartment at 10 p.m. that evening, they were beyond exhausted. Tim mindlessly wandered into the spare bedroom and collapsed without even as much as changing his clothes. Callie and Arizona put Sofia down, made sure the bags were in the house, the door was closed and locked, then fell into bed without even bothering to change.

They spent the entire next day getting Tim settled at Seattle Grace and in their apartment. Teddy came over and helped unpack and brought some basic groceries for them. It was a relatively painless transition back into their life in Seattle; even Sofia seemed more peaceful back in her own room and her real crib.

Callie sat on the cold floor of their bedroom, unfolding the clothes in their last suitcase. Arizona walked in and sat down behind her, rubbing gently at her love's strong shoulders.

"Mmm, do whatever you want, but don't stop that," Callie moaned.

"As you wish," Arizona smiled, quoting their favorite movie, as she leaned forward to place a kiss gently behind Callie's ear and kept rubbing Callie's shoulders. "Sofia's down for the night. Oh, and Aria called again about an hour ago. She wants you to call her back."

"Okay. I'll give her a call in the morning. Did she say what she wanted to talk about?"

"No, just that you should call her back. I'm glad she's keeping in touch… I honestly was a bit worried she wouldn't."

Callie nodded knowingly. "I was too. I just wish my parents would come around, too." Callie halted, realizing she had never mentioned that out loud to Arizona before. She cleared her throat, hoping she wouldn't go any farther with it. "Is Teddy staying?"

Arizona caught the mention of her parents, something she hadn't heard since Callie's breakdown over Christmas. She decided to let it go for now; Aria was a start and it seemed to be going well, she wanted to just be glad of that. "Yeah, she's staying. She said she'll only be here as long as it takes for Tim's stuff to be moved to her place, but he's gotta be here for at least the next week or so." Arizona shifted so she was flat against Callie's back.

"Well it's a good thing we like her," Callie joked.

"Yeah, she's pretty fantastic. I'm really glad that they found each other," Arizona paused, setting her chin on Callie's shoulder. "They just kinda fit, you know?"

Callie nodded as the set aside the last piece of clothing from the suitcase. She leaned back into Arizona and closed her eyes, content to finally feel at home at last. "You and I fit," she added simply.

Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie and smiled. It was really true; in every single sense of the word, they _fit_.

Callie's hands ran up and down Arizona's arms before settling in front of her as she gave in to her embrace completely. "I love when you just hold me like this." She lifted Arizona's hands to her lips. She kissed each knuckle gently, taking time to remember each detail. "I love your little freckles… here," she placed a soft kiss along the inside of her palm, "and here," she continued her soft kisses all along Arizona's soft skin.

She couldn't help a strangled moan from rolling past her lips as Callie continued to lay gentle kisses across her skin. "Calliope, don't tease me…"

Callie smiled mischievously, not breaking for even a second in her gentle kisses. She knew the blonde had a weak spot along the inside of her forearms. Her tongue slipped out and traced a line from the base of her wrist to the spot along her arm where she dropped her lips and suckled gently.

"Oh, god… Calliope," Arizona moaned, tensing behind her.

"You're gonna have to be quieter than that, babe, or Teddy and Tim will hear you," Callie smirked.

"I can't… you know I can't," Arizona turned Callie slightly so she could reach her lips with her own. She crashed her lips against Callie's hungrily, needing a release more than she ever thought possible. They had only had one night to be intimate in nearly the last month, and Callie's gentle kisses were not helping the growing heat that had been building within her for the last several weeks.

"You aren't even trying," Callie breathed.

Arizona smirked. "Why should I?"

Callie pulled away, an evil glint in her eye. "Because I'll stop." Her eyebrow arched. "If you get too loud, I'll stop whatever I'm doing."

Arizona pulled her in for another kiss, forcing her tongue deep into Callie's. She smiled in victory when Callie let out a loud moan. "I think you're the one who's going to need to be just a bit quieter, Calliope."

Callie turned around and straddled Arizona's hips, taking Arizona's face between her hands. She was determined to not be the first one to scream that night, and for that she needed to be in control. She rocked her hips into Arizona's, grinding against her pelvis. The blonde instinctively bucked against Callie and moaned loudly.

The Latina froze and pulled away. "Nuh-uh, babe. You gotta be quiet."

Arizona huffed and bit her lip. She hated being quiet. She looked to make sure the door was closed completely then bucked against Callie's hips again.

Callie lost her resolve and crashed her lips against Arizona's again. The look of the blonde beneath her, dark blue eyes lusting for her, and biting her lip would forever be a sight she would carve into her memory as the hottest thing she had ever seen. She reached down to strip Arizona of her shirt before pulling her own off.

Arizona's hands wandered to the newly bare skin and raked her nails down Callie's stomach. She reached up, undoing Callie's bra. She broke from their kiss to breath, her chest rising and falling violently as her lungs filled with much needed air. "God, you have the world's best boobs, Calliope… I swear…" She reached up to palm them and smiled as Callie crashed their lips together again, a new wave of passion fueling her.

They both moaned into each other's mouths as they fumbled to rid each other of their pants. Callie lifted Arizona briefly in her arms to unhook her bra then settled her back to the floor gently. They kicked off the rest of their clothes and let their hands wander across naked skin.

Callie lowered herself so their bodies were flush against each other. "God, I missed you, Arizona…"

The blonde smiled; even though they hadn't been apart, she had missed her too. The feeling of bare skin against bare skin, the gentle caresses of her lover, and the more passionate clawing Callie did only when she was so close she couldn't control herself, had become a part of her nightly dreams that she was more than happy to have back as a part of her reality. She moaned loudly as Callie broke from her lips to bite at her shoulder. She could feel the growing heat at her center begin to spill over and a dampness form. She bucked wildly against Callie's thigh that was pressed between her legs, begging for more.

Callie responded immediately, knowing the shift in attitude from Arizona to mean she needed her… and soon. She traced her fingers down Arizona's stomach and cupper her mound. Her eyes shot open in surprise. "Holy shit, Arizona!" Callie exclaimed.

Arizona threw her hand over Callie's mouth. "Shh!"

Callie pried her hand away and grimaced. "Sorry, I just… holy shit you're wet," Callie growled.

Arizona's cheeks grew adorably red. "I know… I missed you too, Calliope."

A moan ripped through Arizona's lips as Callie ran a finger through her slit quickly. She usually spent time teasing Arizona into submission, but she could tell the blonde was close. She pressed three fingers into her love, hovering halfway in to make sure she was ready. Arizona screamed Callie's name and arched her back off the ground. The Latina smirked and pressed the rest of the way in and nearly came herself as she watched the blonde's blue eyes roll into the back of her head in ecstasy. She gently moved out then back in and massaged her walls. She pressed her palm against her sensitive swollen nub and curled her fingers. The blonde's toes curled and she started panting.

"More, Callie, please…" Arizona begged.

Callie flicked her nub with her thumb as she moved in and out, quickening her pace steadily. She balanced herself on top of Arizona with her free hand and leaned down to take a nipple in her mouth. She gently suckled as she quickened her pace even more, deepening her fingers with every press inwards. Arizona's cries became frantic and broken until Callie's name turned into nothing more than a strangled moan.

She released her nipple with a pop and watched as her fiancée came harder than she had ever seen. Arizona's world went black as her back arched off the ground, her toes curled, and sparks were sent flying through her body. Her walls tightened around Callie's fingers, crushing them. She knew she was screaming and that Teddy and Tim could hear every bit of it, but she just couldn't care. Nothing around her existed except for her Calliope; she was everything.

She came down from her high as lips brushed against her own, bringing her back from her swirling world of bliss. A smile erupted across her lips as she gathered the strength to flip herself on top of Callie.

The Latina laughed in surprise and raised her hips to meet Arizona's. Their kiss lasted only a moment before the blonde smiled and traced kisses down to her chest. She wrapped her lips around one nipple, smiling at the moan that erupted from Callie. She traced a hand down to cup Callie's center, shoving two fingers quickly past her folds and deep into her.

Callie shrieked at the sudden movements, but settled into rocking her hips into the rhythm of Arizona's fingers instantly. They found a steady rhythm together and soon Callie was squirming under Arizona's touch. She moved down to crouch above Callie's center and lowered herself.

Callie ran her fingers through Arizona's blonde hair, gripping tightly. She quivered with anticipation as Arizona spread her folds, hovering directly above where she needed her most.

She slowly licked Callie's slit and circled her throbbing clit. She could feel the heat from her desire across her cheeks and she knew that Callie was on the brink of climaxing already. She suckled on her clit gently, circled her clit again then latched on more forcefully. Callie's hips bucked wildly as strangled moans of Arizona's name ripped through her.

The blonde held onto Callie's thighs, digging her nails into her skin to keep them from wrapping around her head. She swiped her tongue across Callie's entrance, briefly diving in, then wrapped her mouth around her clit again, sucking fiercely. Callie's hips shot off the ground as she felt her walls close in on themselves. "ARIZ—" Callie's voice caught in her throat, the words stolen into a strangled gasp for air.

Arizona raised herself from Callie's center and pumped her fingers deep inside her fiancée. She forced her fingers inside, curled them and massaged her walls, forcing her into a stronger climax. The Latina's mouth hung open, silent gasps pumping through her. Arizona crashed their lips together and shoved her tongue into her mouth. Callie's mind exploded as her climax continued. She tasted herself on Arizona's tongue, and it made her stomach clench in arousal. The only thought that would form properly in her mind was that only Arizona could make her come this hard and this long.

Finally, her body settled to the floor and her muscles stopped twitching. Arizona pulled her fingers out of Callie and she licked them clean. Watching Callie had only restarted the fire in the pit of her stomach, and she was already ready for round two. She watched as Callie's eyes drifted closed in euphoric exhaustion.

She stood up, grabbing Callie's hands and pulling her into a sitting position. She opened one eye and looked at Arizona. "What're you doing? I wanna sleep," she mumbled.

"Come on, let's sleep in our bed. Together." Arizona tried to lift the Latina from the ground.

"No, here," Callie grumbled.

Arizona leaned down and wrapped her arm around Callie's waist, then hoisted her to stand up. "I want to sleep in our bed, Calliope."

Callie's lips pulled into a goofy lopsided grin. "I like how you say my name."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You call me Calliope. I like that." Callie's eyes drifted shut again in her overly satiated blissful state. She fell to the bed with a dumb smile still plastered across her face.

Arizona smiled at the sight of her future wife as she pulled the sheets over them both and snuggled into her embrace. Callie's arm instinctively wrapped around her and they nestled in together to fall asleep in each other's arms.

"Welcome home, Calliope," Arizona whispered as she closed her eyes, letting a peaceful darkness whisk her away into the dreams that would never again rival her pulchritudinous reality.

* * *

**AN**: I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long for this update! I'm now working on three different stories, a huge jump for me. It's the first time I've worked on more than one project at a time.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's a bit of a fluffy filler, but really how can you argue against that every once in a while, right? The next chapter will definitely be way more plot movement, so look for that sometime this week; probably by Thursday.

Thank you again so much for your reviews and favorites/follows. You guys are pretty much the best group of readers a writer could ask for :)


	37. Ch 37: Nightmares and Daydreams

Ch. 37 – Nightmares and Daydreams

* * *

Just as the content calm of sleep shadowed across Callie's consciousness, a strangled shout followed by the sound of a lamp crashing to the ground startled her back awake. Arizona shifted, trying to convince herself the sound was just in her dreams. Callie's eyes shot open as another crash echoed through the apartment. She sat up and reached over to shake Arizona.

"Arizona," she whispered. "Arizona, honey, wake up."

Arizona grumbled and rolled onto her side so she was flush against Callie. "Calliope, I'm trying to sleep," she mumbled.

"I know, babe, but there's something," her eyes grew wide as she heard a high pitched scream that was cut off quickly. She shot out of bed immediately followed by Arizona. She grabbed the baseball bat by their door and motioned to Arizona to check on Sofia. The blonde nodded and kissed Callie briefly before tip-toeing to Sofia's nursery.

Callie slowly crept forwards, gripping the bat from her softball days tightly. She knocked gently on the guest bedroom's door. "Tim? Teddy?" She whispered. "Are you guys okay?"

"Cal-!" Teddy's voice rang out before being cut off again.

Callie flung the door open, bat primed but completely unprepared for what she was about to see.

Tim was crouched on top of Teddy, his hands gripped around her throat. His eyes were open, but he wasn't looking at Teddy.

"Fuckin… shit. Fuckin… O'Malley!" Tim grunted angrily to himself.

"TIM! OH MY GOD, **TIM**!" Callie ran forward, wrapping her arms around Tim's waist and tackling him straight across the bed and to the floor on the other side. Teddy gasped, filling her burning lungs with much needed air.

Arizona came running towards the door, a sleepy Sofia in her arms.

Tim shook his head and blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear his brain. "Cal?" Confusion leaked through his voice as he took in his surroundings. He shook his arms, trying to free them from Callie's grip, but she tightened her hold, keeping him securely on the ground.

Teddy sat up, gripping the bed sheets and gasping for air. Tears were streaming down her face.

Arizona cautiously walked up to the bed and sat down next to Teddy. She reached up tentatively to touch her hand. "Teddy, are you okay?" She asked quietly.

Tim's body went slack as Arizona's words hit him. "Callie, why am I on the ground being held prisoner and why wouldn't Teddy be okay?" He looked up at her seriously. "Callie, tell me right now, what is happening?"

Her breath caught and her eyes filled with sadness immediately. She looked over to Arizona who now had an arm around Teddy's shoulders.

"Callie! You need to tell me right now what just happened," Tim demanded, his voice strong and serious.

She opened her mouth to answer, but no words formed. She honestly didn't know exactly what had happened. Her mind was still processing the vision of Teddy with Tim's hands wrapped around her neck, cursing George under his breath. "I…" her voice cracked and she looked to Arizona for support.

"It's not his fault," Teddy croaked from her spot on the bed.

"What do you mean not my fault? What happened!?" Tim's cries turned frantic, but Callie kept a stern hold on his wrists, pinning him to the ground. "CALLIE LET ME GO! WHAT DID I DO!?"

Teddy jumped off the bed and ran over to Tim, grabbing him up off the floor and into her arms. Callie sat back, ready to jump if she was needed again. Teddy cradled Tim as he started shaking as panic overtook his body.

"Shh… Tim… breathe. Breathe with me." Memories of the panic attack Teddy talked Tim down from weeks ago flew into both Teddy and Callie's mind. They locked eyes briefly and Teddy nodded confidently. Callie narrowed her eyes, but stood up and looked to Arizona. She reached her hand out for Arizona to take and led her back to their side of the apartment to put Sofia back down in her nursery.

"Are they going to be okay? What happened?" Arizona asked frantically in a whisper once they reached their own room.

"I think that was a flashback… I'm pretty sure Tim has PTSD." Callie pulled their sheets down and crawled back into bed.

"Should we leave them alone? Teddy's neck looked horrible… I can't believe Tim could do that." Arizona sat upright, shaking her head side to side slowly in disbelief.

"Tim isn't himself. You know he would never hurt Teddy purposefully. I can tell you that she understands better than we do what he's going through right now and she knows how to help him." Callie sat up so she was next to Arizona and placed a hand on her back, tracing circles between her shoulders.

Slowly, Arizona's head nodded up and down. She bit her lip, suddenly fighting tears back.

"Hey, hey, come here," Callie breathed as she pulled Arizona to her chest. "It's okay."

"That was just really scary. He's my brother, Callie," Arizona cried, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I know, I know." Callie smoothed Arizona's hair. "It's over now. Come on, let's get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

Arizona wiped her eyes and looked to Callie with a weak smile. "You're right." She leaned in to Callie, nestling against her chest. "I love you."

Callie smiled and lay back, drawing Arizona tightly against her. "I love you too." She took a deep breath, hoping Teddy really knew what she was doing.

* * *

The next morning, Callie sat feeding Sofia her breakfast while Arizona walked around the kitchen, putting together a breakfast for herself and Callie. She was pouring their orange juice as Teddy and Tim walked out to the kitchen hand in hand. Teddy was wearing a turtle neck; it was a bit warm for the sweater, but no one said anything. They stopped just short of the kitchen and Tim cleared his throat, asking for Callie and Arizona's attention.

Teddy squeezed his hand, offering a bit of support. He smiled at her weakly in return and turned to face Callie and Arizona. "I want to apologize to both of you for what happened last night." Arizona leaned forward to argue, but Tim interrupted her. "I shouldn't have come into your home without checking with psych to see if I was ready… I put the people I love most in danger, and I need you to know that I am very sorry." Arizona looked to Callie with a helpless and shocked expression. Callie returned the same shocked expression and put Sofia's spoon down, then stood up and walked towards Tim who was still gripping Teddy's hand for dear life. "I have my things packed, and I'll be out by the time you two get home from work."

Callie crossed the rest of the distance separating them and wrapped her arms around Tim's shoulders. "No, you won't." She looked back to Arizona who had her arms wrapped around her torso. She nodded to Callie, silently approving Callie's statement. "You're staying here… with us. You need to be surrounded by family and the people that love you." She stepped back and looked Tim in the eye. "You need to get help, though."

Tim stared back, silently repeating Callie's words in his mind then looked to Teddy. She cleared her throat and looked to Callie. "We're going to go to the counselor at the hospital this morning to set up a daily counseling session. We're going to get through this…" her voice dropped as she looked into Tim's eyes. "…together."

He gave her a lopsided grin then turned to face Callie and Arizona. "I won't stay here until the counselor says it would be safe for me to be near Sofia. I would never forgive myself if I hurt her…" Tim's eyes shot to Sofia sitting in her high chair playing with her breakfast. He smiled sadly and then met Callie's eyes again. "I won't let myself hurt your little girl." Arizona crossed the room and stood next to Callie and took her hand in her own, entwining their fingers.

Everyone stood in the silence that settled into the room, the seriousness of Tim's condition hitting each of them in their own time until Callie took a deep breath and squeezed Arizona's hand. "Well, keep us updated on how things go. Maybe we can meet up for lunch?" She looked to Arizona and Teddy who both nodded. "Okay, well we have to finish getting ready for work."

Tim nodded and gave a weak smile. Arizona's heart broke seeing her brother, who only months ago was wrestling her through this very kitchen, standing here looking so hopeless that she would have sworn it was some imposter. This wasn't Tim… her Tim. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Just take care of yourself, okay? I love you." He dropped Teddy's hand and wrapped his arms tightly around his sister.

They instantly shifted to hold each other closer. "I love you, too," Tim whispered.

* * *

Callie breathed in, letting the unique scent of the hospital fill her lungs. She closed her eyes, listening to the rush of chaos whirling around her. Footsteps of rushed doctors and nurses running past her, steady beeps of monitors hooked up to the patients surrounding her, and the rolling of wheelchairs of patients headed to tests became the symphony to her life. Her pager beeped, bringing her out of her euphoric daydream and into the reality of her chaotic job; the job she loved and missed _so _much. She looked down to her pager and saw that she had ten minutes to get to her first surgery in nearly a month. A wicked smile erupted on her lips as she practically ran to scrub in, a fresh bounce in her step.

Arizona sat, staring into the corner of the cafeteria, a half eaten carrot rolling through her fingers. Her mind wandered through each of her patients, trying to commit each one to memory and to figure out her treatment plan for each one.

Callie plopped down next to her and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Hey, babe!" She said, an extra cheery tone to her voice.

Arizona's eyes widened and she leaned towards Callie again, asking for another kiss. Their lips brushed, a hum of happiness building between them. "Hey, you." Arizona said as she took a sip of her drink.

"You seem just a bit distracted, everything go okay this morning?" Callie asked as she took a bite of her salad.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, everything's fine. Karev did an _incredible_ job keeping everything together." She took a bite of her carrot. "Like, seriously, I better step up my game or he'll replace me altogether." She glared at Callie suddenly. "Don't you dare tell him I said that!"

Callie laughed and placed her hand gently on Arizona's leg. "No worries. I'm on your side. Always."

Arizona smiled and pulled out her buzzing phone. "Oh, it's a message from Teddy. She and Tim are on their way from their counseling session."

Callie nodded and put her fork down. "I'm glad he's getting help. I really hate seeing him like this." She watched as Arizona put up her huge wall, hiding what was really happening in her mind. "And I'm sure it's even harder for you to see."

Arizona chanced a glance into Callie's eyes and immediately regretted it. She couldn't hide anything from her for long. "It is," she said simply.

A boisterous laugh burst into the cafeteria signaling the arrival of Tim and Teddy. Arizona rolled her eyes to Callie who chuckled in response. The two Army vets sat down on the opposite side of Callie and Arizona, each with a drink and an apple. Teddy took a big bite and shared a secret look with Tim.

Callie arched her eyebrow. "So, what's so funny? Or do us civilians not get to know?"

Tim choked on his bite of apple and started all over in a fit of laughter.

"Hopeless," Arizona stated and squeezed Callie's leg. "I have to get to surgery, I'll see you tonight?" She leaned in to give Callie a sweet and gentle kiss.

Callie hummed into the kiss and smiled. "Definitely. I might be paging you this afternoon though."

Callie laughed as Arizona rolled her eyes and walked towards the trash can then waved as she turned to leave the room, swinging her hips just to tease her fiancée.

Callie's mouth grew dry as she watched Arizona's hips swaying from side to side. _That woman._ She thought about running after her just as Tim cleared his throat. She looked over to her audience and blushed. "Sorry, what?" She asked, realizing they had asked her a question.

"Don't worry about it." Tim said with a chuckle. "The shrink says I'm messed up," he stated nonchalantly as he took a bite of his apple.

Teddy rolled her eyes. "She said you have PTSD." She directed her attention to Callie. "She gave us some exercises to try and ways to get him to sleep through the night. He wants to avoid meds for now, but we'll reevaluate in a couple of weeks. Until then, she recommended he stay either here in the psych ward or with me at my apartment."

Callie nodded. "So, you're moving out already?"

Tim nodded in respones. "Looks like it. For now, anyways."

"Well damn. It was a hell of a lot easier to get rid of you than I thought it would be." Callie teased.

All three of them laughed and took another bite of their food. Callie's pager beeped, signaling it was time to scrub in for her next surgery. She cleared her page and looked up to her friends. "Gotta run, lunch tomorrow?"

Teddy and Tim nodded and Teddy stood up to follow Callie out. She leaned over and kissed Tim briefly. "I gotta get to work. You good to move your stuff in by yourself?"

Tim nodded in response and waved them away. "I'm fine… get outta here, gorgeous."

Teddy blushed and dumped her apple core in the trash then quickly rushed out after Callie to talk about their surgeries for the afternoon.

* * *

Callie sat on the couch that night, sipping a glass of wine with Sofia in her lap, Arizona next to her reading the daily paper. "Aria called while you were in the shower earlier."

"Oh? What did she say?" Arizona asked, not looking up from the paper.

"She wants to come visit us… with my parents."

Arizona set the paper down and spun in her seat to face Callie. "What? When?"

"In a few weeks. She told them I was getting married again, and they're determined to meet you before the wedding… since they didn't meet George before I married him."

Arizona's eyes widened. "They want to meet me? And they know who I am?"

"That you're a woman?" Callie laughed. "No. I don't think so, anyways. Aria didn't mention telling them."

"You should probably tell them before they fly out here." Arizona cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. "If you want them to fly out here, that is." She reached to take Callie's hand in her own. "You don't have to talk to them if you don't want to, but I think you should."

Callie nodded and finished off her wine. "I haven't decided yet. But I'm exhausted, let's go to bed."

Arizona smiled and took Sofia from her lap. "I'll put our baby girl down, you go get ready for bed. I'll be in in a minute."

Callie smiled and kissed Arizona, smiling when the blonde deepened the kiss. "Don't take too long."

* * *

**AN**: So sorry for the delay in posting… It's been a rough week for me personally. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter though! Hopefully Tim gets better soon. So happy that Teddy can help though, right? And oh geeze… Torres family draaamaaaaaa!


	38. Ch 38: The Good and the Bad

Ch 38 – The Good and the Bad

* * *

The sound of a pager beeping screeched through their bedroom way too early by any normal person's standards. But surgeons aren't normal people. Callie, however, loved sleeping and absolutely hated it when her pager interrupted it. She covered her head with her pillow, hoping that Arizona would get up and make the horrible beeping stop.

She knew Callie wouldn't be the one to get out of bed and answer the pager, so she rolled out of bed muttering, "please don't be mine, please don't be mine," repeatedly under her breath.

She stumbled over the rug at the end of their bed and caught herself on the dresser where they kept their pagers. She picked up the beeping menace with one eye half open and laughed triumphantly when it was Callie's, not her own. She cleared the page and started back towards the bed when the second pager started screaming as well. She groaned as she made her way back to the dresser and cleared her own page. She trudged over to Callie's side of the bed and grabbed her arm and shook her. "Come on, we're being paged in to the hospital."

"I don't wanna," Callie whined as she pulled the sheets tighter against her.

Arizona leaned down and kissed Callie on the cheek. "Come on pretty lady, we have to go save lives." Callie groaned in response, but threw the sheets to the side and swung her legs off to the side of the bed. Arizona pulled her up and aimed her towards the bathroom, then set off to face the next challenge: Sofia.

It was only on mornings like this where they were both paged in early, forcing them to wake their baby girl up in the middle of the night and take her to the hospital with them, that Arizona felt guilty about being a surgeon. The little girl was definitely her mother's daughter; she hated being woken up from her sleep. She grumbled and fought Arizona for nearly ten minutes before Callie walked in, fully clothed and ready to go.

"Arizona, what are you doing? We have to leave. We were paged nearly twenty minutes ago!"

Arizona looked up dumbfounded. Sofia was clawing at her neck and screaming into her ear, protesting every move she tried to make. She took a deep breath and pulled Sofia up from her crib and handed her to Callie. "Fine. You take our daughter. I'll be ready to go in just a minute." She stormed out of Sofia's nursery and into their bathroom. She grabbed her tooth brush and brushed her teeth while she threw on the first pair of clothes she could find and pulled her hair into a sloppy ponytail. She could still hear Sofia crying from the living room and Callie opening and closing the cabinets in the kitchen much louder than necessary.

She raced towards the door, throwing her jacket on and grabbing her bag. She opened the door and spun around to face Callie who was struggling with keeping Sofia steady. She was pulling at everything she could grab on to, her hair, her jacket, her earrings, anything.

Callie huffed in frustration. "Sofia, don't grab Mami. I know you want to go back to bed. SOFIA!" She shouted as the little girl yanked on her hair, pulling out a few strands. She glared at the little girl, trying to remain calm. Sofia stared back up at her defiantly then let out another blood curdling scream. "Arizona, I need you to take her."

The blonde rolled her eyes and crossed the room and took Sofia from Callie's arms. "Now come on, we're late."

Callie flared her nostrils and grabbed her bag and Sofia's bag for day care. "Yeah, I **know** we're late, Arizona," she spat.

* * *

They rushed Sofia up to day care as soon as they got to the hospital without saying a word to each other. The little girl had finally calmed down just in time to hand her off to the day care worker, who happily put her down to go back to sleep in their crib room.

They ran into the pit just as Hunt finished giving the rundown of what had happened. He glared at Callie and Arizona, obviously upset they were showing up nearly fifteen minutes after everyone else had arrived. Callie grabbed Bailey's elbow as she started to walk away from them. "Bailey! What happened? Why are we here?"

Bailey looked both Callie and Arizona up and down and raised her eyebrow. "Well if you had been here when you were paged, you'd know!"

Callie's mouth opened in a gasp and her eyes widened. She cocked her hip and went to respond, but Arizona cut her off. "Yeah, I know, we're late. But could you please just tell us what's going on?"

Bailey thought for a minute then sighed in surrender. "There was a sinkhole that opened up on the highway that a tanker fell in to and exploded. Lots of broken bones, burns, and families who were on the road for spring break. We've got six buses three minutes out. Kepner's running the pit." The short woman huffed and turned on her heel to head towards the doors, waiting for the first arrival.

They both walked over to the prep station to grab gowns and gloves. "If someone hadn't wasted ten minutes trying to coax a 13 month old awake, we could have heard that straight from Hunt and he wouldn't be riding our ass all day, which I'm _sure_ he'll be doing now…"

Arizona snapped her second glove into place and turned to Callie. "Not now, Callie," she said shortly then turned and marched towards the door anxiously waiting for when she would be needed.

* * *

"DAMN IT!" Callie slammed the door to her office and shrunk to the floor. She pulled her legs in and laid her head on her knees as she reached up and yanked her scrub cap off and gripped it along with the fabric of her pants. Her first surgery was supposed to just be a basic femur repair, which escalated quickly into a full leg amputation but things just kept going wrong and then his heart failed, but Teddy was in surgery already and Yang was assisting on one of Arizona's surgeries leaving no one to help. She tried everything she could, but she lost her first patient of the day.

A soft knock came at the door and Mark's voice rang through the solid wood. "Callie? Hunt's trying to find you."

She sniffed and wiped her face of the tears she didn't even feel fall. She took a deep breath and stood up, quickly fixing the wrinkles on her clothes. She secured her scrub cap again and opened the door. "Okay, where to next?"

Mark took in the sight of his best friend and winced. "If you need a minute," he offered.

"No, I'm fine, Mark. Who needs me?" She cleared her throat and stepped forward, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"I don't get it. My work was perfect! There was no reason my repair should have failed like that…" Cristina sank down onto the floor outside of OR 3 and pulled her scrub cap off. She buried her head into her hands and pulled at her hair. "I just don't get it."

Arizona stood next to her, running through the surgery again in her head. "I want a full report on exactly what went on in there, Yang."

Cristina looked up suddenly. "I just told you, I have no idea what—"

"Well, figure it out." Arizona shoved off of the wall and stormed off towards the doors. "I have to go tell her parents they just lost their little girl."

* * *

Callie's next surgery went according to plan; a small victory for the ortho surgeon, even though she found herself doubting every cut she made. She hated losing patients, especially when she didn't have time to fully process through everything that happened to find exactly where she had made a mistake. If she couldn't pin point exactly what she did wrong, she couldn't stop herself from making that mistake again and it led to her questioning every move she made during the next surgery.

She had twenty minutes before her next surgery and she took the time to sit in her office quietly by herself downing a latte. She thought to buy one for Arizona as well, but she was still in her second surgery. Honestly, it was probably better that she was busy. She knew she shouldn't blame Arizona for being late that morning, but everything just seemed to be going so wrong today and it all started with her not being able to just wake Sofia up and get her ready. She dropped her head into her hands and sighed. She couldn't decide between wanting to wake up and start this day all over again so she could fix everything or just hiding away and skipping the rest of the day entirely.

* * *

"Great work in there, Karev," Arizona said with a smile as she scrubbed out of her second surgery.

Alex looked over his shoulder with a lopsided grin that never failed to remind her of Tim. "Thanks, boss," he said simply. "And thanks for letting me scrub in with you, that was an awesome surgery."

Arizona dried her hands off and threw the paper towel into the trash. "You earned it. And, I think you've earned the right to go tell his parents the good news."

Alex's face lit up instantly. "Really?"

Arizona nodded and smiled. "Yes, really. Now, go on. I'll meet you up in recovery."

Alex smiled and left the scrub room with his shoulders held high. It was good for him to finally get some recognition, she thought. He always seemed to be at the bottom of the pile and she never could figure out why. He acted tough, but he was an amazing surgeon and he really was great with the kids. She let out a huge sigh and looked down at her watch. It was already almost noon and she knew she had more surgeries lined up that afternoon. She headed towards the coffee cart and then to her office to start the paperwork on the surgery from that morning.

* * *

Callie lost another patient that afternoon. He was young, too. He had been in surgery all morning with Bailey and Teddy. He was stable when she walked in the room, but it wasn't long before he started crashing for what she was told was the third time. She knew that this case was going to be difficult; he had multiple internal injuries, including a punctured lung, and countless broken bones. But knowing that didn't make losing him any easier. Bailey called it, and Teddy volunteered to talk to his fiancée, but Callie still felt the loss just as hard as her first surgery.

"Today sucks," she mumbled to Mark as they sat trying to eat before they were called in to their final surgeries of the day.

He nodded and took a small bite of his apple. "Tell me about it."

"Have you seen Dr. Altman?" Cristina asked anxiously.

Callie creased her eyebrows in confusion. "No, why?"

Cristina sighed dramatically. "Your girlfriend or fiancee or whatever told me to put together a report of why we lost our patient this morning, but I can't figure out what I did wrong, and she won't let it go. So I really need to talk to Altman."

That didn't sound like something Arizona would do… She always took responsibility for losing a patient. She wondered if maybe she should go find her to make sure everything was okay, but she really wasn't sure that Arizona would want to see her. If she did, she would have found her, right? "Did you check PT?"

"No. Of course I didn't. Why would she be in PT?" Yang crossed her arms defiantly.

"Because Tim's down there." When Cristina's confused expression didn't change she just waved it off. "Never mind, just go check down there. If she's not there then give her an hour and then check her office."

Cristina rolled her eyes then shoved away from the table and stormed out of the lunch room.

"That woman is way too wound up." Mark stated simply.

"Yeah, well, she doesn't like messing up. Especially when she doesn't know what she did wrong." Callie sat her fork down and pushed away from the table. "I'm not hungry. I'll see you later, Mark."

"Okaayyy…" he hesitated, thinking of whether he should ask what was wrong or not. Before he could make up his mind, the Latina was out the door.

* * *

Arizona sat in her office, tears streaming down her face. She had another surgery in an hour with one of her favorite patients. She had to pull herself together before she went in there or she was going to make stupid mistakes. She put aside the paperwork and forced the surgery from that morning out of her mind. She finished off her box of tissues and decided finally that she needed to go for a walk.

Callie wandered around the hospital, wanting nothing more than to go fall into Arizona's arms and empty everything racing through her mind into her. But she knew Arizona wouldn't want to see her, and she honestly couldn't blame her. Before she knew she had decided to go there, she found herself at the daycare, greeting the overly cheery worker who always signed her in. She grabbed the clipboard and was writing her name when she saw Arizona's scrawled signature on the line above hers. She looked up and saw Sofia sitting happily in Arizona's lap on the floor, listening to her Mama reading a book to her. She finished signing in and walked tentatively up to Arizona's side.

Sofia looked up and smiled. "Mami!"

Arizona looked up and smiled weakly. "Hey," she said, almost at a whisper.

Callie hesitated. "Hey. Do you mind if I sit with you guys for a minute?"

Arizona was still upset that Callie had been so quick to blame everything on her that morning, but the relief of seeing her overwhelmed her. She really needed to just be around her for just a little while. "Of course not. Here," she scooted closer to the wall, opening a space for her to sit on the floor next to them. "We were just getting to the good part," she said with a wink.

Sofia patted the page of the book, demanding Arizona to keep reading. She looked to Callie automatically, like she always did just to see if she thought it was funny too, and smiled when Callie's met hers instinctually as well.

* * *

Callie's last surgery went flawlessly, and for the first time that day, she felt accomplished. She sat down in her office and pulled out the paperwork she had to complete for the patient she had lost that morning. She sifted through the pages and sighed as she pulled out her phone to text Arizona.

_Hey, I'm going to be late tonight. I have a lot of paperwork from today._

She sat her phone down and started filling out the first form. Not even a minute later, her phone buzzed with a new text.

_I do too. I'll let you know when I'm ready to head home._

Arizona sat, staring at her phone. She had no idea that Callie had lost a patient today... how did she miss that? She silently cursed herself for not being there for her, but at the same time cursed Callie for not being there for her when she needed her. She wished so much that she could just melt into Callie's arms and let the world's problems drift around them, and she was sure that Callie was thinking the exact same thing, but life wasn't that easy sometimes.

* * *

The only consolation for having such a long day was that they both were given the following day off. With that in mind, they trudged up the stairs to their apartment close to 20 hours after they had been pulled from their bed that morning.

Callie sat with Sofia on the floor of their living room, enjoying the constant babble running through the little girl's lips. Arizona sat down on the couch next to them, mindlessly playing with the watch on her wrist. "We should talk about this morning."

Callie looked up with a pained expression. "You're right. I'm sorry… It was wrong of me to blame you for making us late. I didn't mean it, though. I know you were trying your best to get us out the door."

Arizona nodded and stared at the ground. "I know you didn't mean it, but thank you for apologizing."

Callie watched Arizona fidgeting nervously. Arguing was new territory for them, and she couldn't say she liked it very much. "I heard you really laid into Yang this morning."

Arizona looked up suddenly. "How did you know that?"

"She came looking for Teddy while I was eating with Mark. Which, by the way, I really missed my lunch buddy today. Mark wouldn't eat my carrots."

Arizona laughed and plopped down on the ground next to Callie and Sofia. "I missed you today, too." She laid her head on Callie's shoulder, happy to finally be able to have some sort of physical contact with her. "But yeah, I may have blamed the patient we lost on her…"

"Really?" Callie asked softly.

"Really. She's tough, though. She can take it. And her report was amazing. She went back through and completely revised how she's going to approach the repair in the future. It's pretty incredible, actually. I'm going to recommend her to write a formal paper on it and get it published."

Callie chuckled. "Only Cristina would take something like losing a patient and turn it into some revolutionary new procedure."

Arizona laughed and sat up. "Exactly. In a way, I helped her."

Callie narrowed her eyes and watched as a mischievous grin pulled at Arizona's lips. She leaned forward and brushed their lips together in a quick kiss. "I'm gonna go call Aria to talk about my parents coming out next week."

Callie hated fighting with Arizona. It completely drained her, and she had had a horrible day on top of it. She debated even calling her sister, thinking that if the day continued the way it had been, this wasn't going to go well. She sat playing with her phone, trying to decide if her sister would even be awake at this hour when she heard Arizona's voice calling for her.

"CALLIE! CALLIE COME HERE! QUICK!"

Callie shot up and ran to the living room, not sure if it was excitement or fear in Arizona's voice. She rounded the corner just as Sofia let go of the coffee table with a determined look on her face.

Arizona was kneeled a few feet away with her hands outstretched. "Come on, baby girl, come to Mama!"

Sofia scrunched her face in concentration and landed a foot onto the soft rug. Callie rushed over to Arizona's side. "Come on, Sofia, you can do it!" She said excitedly.

She leaned to one side, almost falling but landed her other foot just in front of the other. Both Callie and Arizona squealed and continued to encourage her. She wobbled again, putting the other foot in front of the other and then toppled forward. Arizona caught her and instantly lifted her high into the air. "You did it, baby girl! You got me!" Sofia squealed in delight and lifted her hand to her mouth, chewing on her fingers.

Callie placed one hand on Arizona's back and reached for Sofia with the other. "Sofia! Baby! You did it!"

Arizona brought her in for a strong hug and Callie wrapped her arm around them both then started showering Sofia with kisses.

Arizona and Callie looked to each other simultaneously with matching wide smiles and tears welling behind their eyes. They leaned in for a quick kiss then set Sofia down to try again, this time with Callie recording it on her phone.

As she watched Sofia wobble her way over to Arizona a second time, she couldn't stop her heart from completely exploding with love. Even on such a completely horrible day, she couldn't help but feel just incredibly, insanely blessed to have such an amazing woman in her life who loved her and their daughter so much. Arizona glanced over her shoulder as if she could hear her thoughts and smiled with that look in her eye that spoke more than words could ever express. It was a silent 'I love you' that always made her heart flutter and her stomach spin. Despite everything, Arizona loved her and their baby girl was healthy, strong, and taking her first steps and that made today a very, _very_ good day.

* * *

**AN**: The next chapter, Callie's parents arrive! Are you ready?

It will probably be mid next week before the next chapter is posted… I turn 21 on Thursday so not much writing will be going on this weekend :P

Thank you again so much for every review, follow, and favorite! You guys are absolutely incredible!


	39. Ch 39: Chasing Butterflies

Ch. 39 – Chasing Butterflies

* * *

"And you made the reservations, right?" Callie nervously tapped her pencil on the pad of paper sitting on the nurse's station in front of her.

Arizona rolled her eyes and reached out to rub Callie's arm. "Yes, Calliope. I made the reservations. Relax! Everything is going to be **fine**."

Callie looked up at Arizona anxiously. "You say that, but you don't know! They already shut me out once, Arizona. They'll do it again." Callie groaned, "this is a bad idea… this is _such_ a bad idea…" Images of her father exploding in anger and her mother breaking into tears flooded Callie's mind for the millionth time that day.

"Calliope, look at me," Arizona whispered as she lifted Callie's chin. She gave a supportive smile and cocked her head slightly. "I'll be there the whole time. We're in this **together**, okay?"

Callie nodded slowly as Arizona's words sank in. "Okay."

Arizona smiled and pulled Callie into a brief hug. "Alright, I have to go get ready for Emily's surgery, but I'll see you tonight. Love you!"

"Love you, too," Callie whispered, a smile erupting on her lips as she watched the love of her life roll away towards the pediatrics wing.

* * *

Carlos Torres entered the building his pride and joy of a daughter worked in. Things had been shaky in their relationship ever since word of her sudden divorce reached their Miami home, but he had been talking to his wife and they were anxious to reach back out to their daughter. So, when Aria told them of her engagement, he was determined to make this his way back into his daughter's life. He had immediately decided he needed to meet this new suitor and make sure that they were an acceptable choice to make his Calliope their wife. So, with squared shoulders and a confident stride, he approached the check-in counter.

"Good afternoon, I am looking for Dr. Calliope Torres's fiancée. Do you happen to know who that is?" He had tried multiple times to get a name from Aria, but for some reason she had refused.

"Yes," the woman at the counter began, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but who are you?"

He stood taller. "Of course, how rude of me, I am Carlos Torres, Calliope's father."

The woman smiled immediately. "Oh! How nice to meet you, Mr. Torres. You're looking for Dr. Robbins up in the pediatrics wing. Third floor." The woman pointed towards the elevator then handed Carlos his name tag. "Wear this at all times and make sure to check out before you leave."

"Thank you," he said with a charming smile. "You've been most helpful."

Carlos rode the elevator to the third floor and wandered towards the pediatrics wing. He hoped that meant that this suitor was good with children; his Sofia deserved to be cared for, and he knew that George had honestly never cared for her. The last of Callie's calls always had stories of his little granddaughter, but when she spoke of George with their daughter, he could hear a tinge of sadness in his daughter's voice. She tried to say how much he loved her, but a father always knows when he's being lied to.

He meandered around the pediatrics wing before someone approached him. "I'm sorry, sir, can I help you with something? You look lost," the young intern asked.

"I'm looking for Dr. Robbins," he said simply.

A blonde woman standing at the desk to his right turned around, her blonde curls bouncing with the sudden movement. She had a brilliant smile and the most purely beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.

"I'm Dr. Robbins," she began. "Brooks, I'm glad I caught you, can you go see if the results from Emily's tests are back from the lab yet?" The intern nodded and raced towards the end of the hall. Arizona turned to face Carlos completely and her brows furrowed in confusion. She didn't recognize the man as anyone she had ever met before, but something about his eyes rang familiar. "How can I help you, sir?"

"I'm sorry, I'm looking for the other Dr. Robbins," Carlos began.

Arizona cocked her head to the side. "No, I'm the only Dr. Robbins here at Seattle Grace. Did you need something? Are you related to a patient here?"

"No, there must be some mistake. I'm sorry to have wasted your time," Carlos turned on his heel and hurriedly walked back to the elevator, leaving a very confused Arizona at his back.

* * *

Callie clicked her pen repeatedly in her hand nervously as she looked over the surgery board. She had one more surgery planned for the afternoon, a broken femur that came into the pit that morning. She looked at her watch to see how much time she had before she had to scrub in and groaned when it was still a half an hour away. She needed a distraction... now. She would call Arizona, but she was busy. She was about to throw a temper tantrum when a cleared throat beside her startled her out of her thoughts.

She turned and gasped. "Daddy!?"

Carlos smiled and opened his arms to embrace his daughter. Callie immediately fell into his arms as if it was habit. "Hello, Calliope."

"Daddy, you're here early! Where's Mom?" Callie separated from her father, suddenly embarrassed that she had been so quick to show affection. She hadn't even spoken to her parents in nearly a year.

"Your mother is at the hotel preparing for this evening. I wanted to meet your new suitor before I spent good money on buying him dinner." He straightened his jacket.

"Right, well, uhm…" Callie's eyes shot to every corner of the room before landing on the surgery board. "You'll have to wait. They're in surgery right now…" Callie's voice dropped away as she saw Arizona walk out of the scrub room to OR 3, rip off her scrub cap, and shrink against the wall next to the door. Her head fell into her hands and she leaned forward against her knees, signaling an oncoming flood of emotion. Callie immediately walked past her father and crossed the hall to kneel by Arizona.

Carlos turned to follow his daughter, but stopped in his tracks when he saw her wrap her arm around the blonde from earlier that afternoon, the Dr. Robbins he had been told was her fiancée. He had decided the woman who had informed him that Dr. Robbins was his daughter's fiancée was confused or misinformed, but after seeing his daughter pull the woman into an embrace too friendly for simple colleagues, he wasn't so sure.

Arizona grabbed onto Callie's scrubs and buried her face into her shoulder as tears streamed down her face. One of her favorite patients had a tumor that was much more extensive than the scans had shown and it had expanded into her heart and lung. She had to close without removing any of the life-draining mass. She explained it all to Callie through her shaky sobs; she wasn't sure how Callie had gotten to her, but she was so glad she was there.

Callie smoothed Arizona's hair and pulled her in closer. She didn't even realize she had an audience while holding her or kissing the top of her head until she noticed a shadow drape across them.

Arizona felt Callie stiffen and leaned out of the embrace to see what was happening. "What's wrong?" She asked. She followed Callie's eyes and saw the man from earlier staring down at them with his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. "Uhm," she began, but the man cut her off.

"Calliope, who is this woman?" He stared between the two women and crossed his arms.

Callie's eyes flashed down to Arizona's and back up to her father's then back to Arizona. Her heart started pounding and suddenly her mind went blank.

Arizona looked between Callie and the man still trying to piece together what was happening. She looked into Callie's panicked eyes and swallowed; she noticed identical eyes to that of Callie's in the mystery man and it all made sense. This was Callie's father.

Arizona cleared her throat and stood up, pulling Callie up next to her. She wiped her eyes clean and squared her shoulders as Callie stood up and wrung her hands nervously. She looked back and forth quickly between her father and Arizona, quietly asking if it was okay to introduce her. Arizona gave a slight nod, so she turned to face her father. "Daddy, please be okay with this," she started as she wrapped her arm around Arizona's waist. "Daddy, this is Dr. Arizona Robbins, my fiancée. Arizona, this is my father, Carlos Torres."

Arizona reached her hand out and put on the biggest smile she could muster, flashing her dimples that had always helped her in dealing with authority figures. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Torres, although I believe we met briefly earlier."

Carlos stood staring at the hand without moving. "Yes, I believe we did."

Callie looked at Arizona with a shocked expression. "You met?"

Arizona dropped her hand, realizing he wasn't going to shake it. "Mhmm. He came up to my floor asking for me. But he left pretty quickly after I introduced myself."

Callie glanced to her father who was growing redder by the second. "I thought I was mistaken, I wasn't expecting for you to be a woman," he said shortly.

Arizona winced and crossed her arms, shrinking into herself. Callie's arm tightened across her waist. "Daddy…" she warned.

"Dr. Robbins, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak with my daughter," he glared at Arizona. "Alone," he added.

Arizona nodded. "Of course, Mr. Torres."

Callie grabbed Arizona's hand and stopped her from leaving. "Sorry, but I have a surgery in a few minutes. I don't have time to talk right now."

Carlos clenched his jaw and looked down at their joined hands. "Fine. I will wait for you in the lobby." He walked past them and stormed through the doors into the waiting room.

Callie let out a deep sigh. "Oh my god I can't believe that just happened," she said, all in one deep exhale.

Arizona placed her hands on either side of Callie's face and looked deep into her eyes. "Breathe, Callie, it's over."

Callie took several deep breaths then collapsed into Arizona's arms. They held each other until both of their breathing stabilized. Callie brushed her lips against Arizona's briefly and leaned back against the wall. "I have to get to surgery," she stated.

"And I have to go tell Emily's parents what happened."

Callie reached out again to hug Arizona. "I'm so sorry about that."

"I know. I hate it when we're too late."

Callie gave Arizona a heartfelt look of sympathy. "Kids are the toughest."

Arizona just nodded simply and squeezed Callie's hand. "Go be a rockstar, Calliope. I'll see you after."

Callie nodded and offered a weak smile then turned on her heel to head into surgery.

* * *

Arizona took her time explaining everything to Emily's parents. They cried through the entire conversation, so it took nearly 45 minutes. She offered as much comfort as she could and assured them they could discuss alternative forms of treatment once they had had time to go visit their daughter when she woke up from the surgery. The whole time she was talking to Emily's parents, she couldn't help but think of Callie's father somewhere in this same room. He had a healthy daughter and granddaughter, and he was on the brink of unnecessarily throwing away that relationship for the rest of his life. These parents were about to lose their daughter and they had no control over that; she had no way of helping. What she could help was the decision Carlos was about to make.

Carlos watched Arizona from the corner of the waiting room in complete fascination. The woman who he had just seen break down right in front of the OR was now nothing but supportive, professional, and extraordinarily compassionate. He found himself admiring the woman's ability to comfort the family during what he knew was every parent's worst nightmare. As she stood up and pointed the parents towards the elevator, he turned so that he was facing the large windows that made up the wall to the hospital and stared out across the parking lot and into the city of Seattle while he let his thoughts roam over the news he had received that day.

His Calliope was gay. _Gay._

It didn't make sense.

He felt her presence before he saw her and before she said anything. He chanced a glance to his side and saw that she was standing next to him, her arms folded behind her back. "I don't know you well enough to talk about her with you," he said. "We're not going to do that," he added.

Arizona kept her eyes trained outside the large glass window. She knew Carlos didn't want to hear what she had to say, but he was going to anyways. "Most people think I was named for the state, but it's not true. I was named for a battle ship… the USS Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and he saved 19 men before he drowned. Pretty much everything my father did his whole life was about honoring that sacrifice. I was raised to be a good man in a storm… Raised to love my country, my family, and protect the things I love." She paused to take a breath. "When my father, Colonel Daniel Robbins of the United States Marine Corps, heard that I was a lesbian he said he only had one question. I was prepared for, 'how fast can you get the hell out of my house'; but instead it was, 'are you still who I raised you to be?' My father believes in country the way you believe in God. My father is not a man who bends, but he bent for me because I'm his **daughter**. I'm a good man in a storm."

She squared her shoulders and looked over to Carlos for the first time since she started her speech. "I love your daughter, and I love Sofia. And I protect the things I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's strong. And caring. And thoughtful. And she's who _you_ raised her to be."

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Callie scrubbed out of her surgery and sat across the table from her father in an open conference room as they both stared at each other, hopelessly lost as to where to begin.

Carlos was the first to clear his throat and break the tension that you could practically reach out and touch. He sat back and folded his hands in his lap as he opened the conversation. "So tell me, mija, how long have you known this Dr. Robbins?"

Callie sat completely motionless and tried to still her fidgeting fingers. "I've known Arizona since she started working here almost five years ago, but we never really talked until about a year ago."

"Is she the reason you divorced George?" Carlos's voice was even and emotionless.

Callie always hated that she could never read into her father's tone except when it was laced with anger; it made situations like this very difficult. "No, not really. George and I never worked. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to be disappointed, but he and I… well, we were never really happy."

Carlos nodded and leaned forward, settling his forearms along the edge of the table. "And this Arizona woman… she makes you happy?"

Callie couldn't help the brilliant smile that erupted across her lips. "Yes, Daddy, she makes me very, very happy."

Carlos watched as his daughter's face lit up. He had been so angry this whole time; his daughter was _not_ gay. There was no way he had failed her that much as a father. He had thought that maybe this woman... this Dr. Robbins had somehow manipulated his daughter. He decided that had to be what was happening; until he saw Callie's face in the instant she first mentioned how happy Arizona made her. It was the face he had been praying to see his entire life from his little girl. The way her eyes glistened, her cheeks flushed, and that smile… it was one he hadn't seen in a very long time.

Immediately, the smell of freshly cut grass filled his nostrils as a memory of a three year old Callie tottering across their front yard rushed through his mind. She was dragging a rake behind her, giggling to herself as she chased after a butterfly. _Calliope! I thought I asked you to rake the leaves!_ She had turned to him and laughed as she dropped the rake and ran into his arms. He knew that she didn't really want to help rake leaves… she didn't even know what that meant. She just wanted to spend the day with her favorite person, her Papi. He would never forget the way his little girl smiled up at him that day, but he hadn't seen her smile like that in a very long time. She had locked it away, kept it safe. Carlos felt a tear build in the corner of his eye when he realized she wore that same smile, only this time it was for the person it was always meant for, the person she loved.

His mind battled within itself. He knew that his daughter loved Arizona, but he had always been taught that being gay was an abomination and should never be tolerated. He looked down to his hands then back into his daughter's eyes and decided that anyone who would make his daughter this happy was someone he needed to learn to accept.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Callie's jaw dropped open. "Wait, you're okay with this?"

"I don't know, yet. I'm going to need some time. But I miss how we used to talk. You used to call… every Sunday you would call. Even if you were in trouble, we would talk through it. I miss you, mija, and I am sorry that it took me so long to tell you that."

Callie's eyes brimmed with tears as a tremendous weight she hadn't even realized was there lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you, Daddy. I miss you too. I was so scared you wouldn't approve of this."

Carlos shifted in his seat. "I don't know how I feel yet about Arizona. I barely know her, which makes me sad because I know that you love her. I should know the person who makes my daughter so incredibly happy."

Callie jumped up from the table and ran around to wrap her arms around her father. She buried her face into his shoulder. "Oh, thank you, Daddy… thank you."

Carlos wrapped his arms around his daughter's waist and held on tight. "I feel incredibly old."

Callie laughed and separated from her father. "Well, I'm glad I have your genes because you don't look it."

Carlos laughed and kissed his daughter on her cheek. "Okay, let's go find Arizona and see how she's doing."

Callie smiled and took her father's hand. She gave it a squeeze as she opened the conference room door and led him out to the surgical floor to find her fiancée.

* * *

**AN**: I'm sorry this update was so slow! I had a very busy couple of weeks. I'm hoping to wrap up this story in the next ten chapters or so… but I do have a new story out that people seem to be enjoying. It's called Callie's Dream and it has some interesting twists that I'm excited about, so feel free to check that out if you're going to miss my writing :P

I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, let me know how I did in the reviews? I'm honestly just a bit nervous about how I handled Carlos's character :/

As always, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. It means the world to me! :]


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